Canadian authorities scrambled military jets to accompany a Cathay Pacific Airways Airbus A340 landing at Vancouver International Airport yesterday, after authorities received a bomb threat involving the aircraft.
The threat turned out to be a hoax and the aircraft, which landed safely at 13:37hr local time at Vancouver, was released after a security search by authorities, says the Oneworld carrier.
Flight CX838 had departed from Hong Kong with 283 passengers and 14 crew on board.
Cathay says the Vancouver Airport Authority had received an anonymous bomb threat regarding CX839, Cathay's Vancouver-Hong Kong flight, which is operated with the same aircraft.
Vancouver Airport received the threat just before the landing of CX838, adds Cathay.
"As a precaution, two military jets escorted CX838 as it came into land. The jets did not land with CX838, but returned to their base," says the airline.
The A340 was parked at a remote secure area of the airport for a thorough security search and screening of the baggage on board, adds Cathay.
It was subsequently cleared to depart for Hong Kong as flight CX839, with a four and a half hours delayed departure time.
"The Royal Canadian Mounted Police are conducting an investigation into the bomb hoax and at this stage it is inappropriate for us to comment any further," says Cathay.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
