Plane diverted after bomb scare

 

Passengers left the plane as officials began to search it

 

A plane flying from London to Egypt has been diverted to the Italian airport of Brindisi because of a bomb scare. The 767 plane, operated by charter airline Excel, was flying from Gatwick to Hurghada, Egypt.

Excel said that flight XLA5984 was diverted after a note saying there was a bomb on board was found.

The plane was escorted by an Italian fighter jet and landed safely in Brindisi, to be met by emergency services and anti-terrorist officers.

"The note was written on the back of a sick bag, which stated 'there's a bomb on this aircraft' and was passed among passengers before being handed to a member of cabin crew," said Excel.

"The captain was advised and, as a precautionary measure, made the decision to divert into Brindisi."

Re-boarding

The pilot had landed at the Italian airport after contacting air traffic control in Zagreb, Croatia.

The plane - with 269 passengers and nine crew - is currently being searched, but officials stood down the emergency.

Excel said the passengers are in the terminal building and are expected to re-board the aircraft shortly to continue their journey. Me and my girlfriend are very anxious - we don't really feel like getting back on it.

 

 

Matthew Masters

Passenger

 

Richard Howson, a London attorney on the flight, said the pilot announced over the tannoy there may be a bomb on board but that it was probably a hoax.

"He handled it pretty well as he suggested it was most probably not a real scare," said Mr Howson. "I think that helped people stay calm."

He said after leaving the plane, passengers were checked with metal detectors before being allowed into the airport terminal, where they were now being given pizza and bottled water.

Matthew Masters, another passenger on the plane, said the pilot had made the announcement about two hours into the flight.

Speaking to BBC News 24 from the terminal, Mr Masters said the reaction among passengers was "silence, a bit of uneasiness, just a bit of shock".

The pilot then told passengers that they would be landing within 15 minutes.

Mr Masters said there were fire engines around the plane.

"Me and my girlfriend are very anxious. At least we're off the plane but we don't really feel like getting back on it."

'Crying children'

Fellow passenger Silvestro Auriemma said he translated between plane crew and Italian authorities.

He was sitting near where the note - which said "there is a bomb on board" - was found.

Generally he said it was calm on the plane, but "there were some children crying, and people were shaken up".

"At that altitude, to hear that there's a bomb on board - it's not good," Mr Auriemma told News 24.

Excel Airways is a UK charter passenger airline and provides mainly short-haul services to European and Middle Eastern leisure destinations.

It operates out of London Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow, and the company is based in Crawley, West Sussex.

I wondered where I left my sick bag...

 

....Only joking.

 

It's a sick joke played by someone who wants to cause panic.

Yeah you just do don't do that... its cruel and insensitive.

You cant do that in these times... bet it was someone on the previous flight or something. Some joke.. its pathetic.

 

Like the annoying drunk guy on my flight Thursday evening....he was talking and saying stuff like "what if people bought a chainsaw on board". I knew he was drunk and acting like an idiot...but its not the point. (The crew should have dealt with him but they didnt, I dont think they wanted any trouble :rolleyes: ) People are so irresponsible and thoughtless to the people around them.

 

When a country is on the "highest alert" for terrorism, people travelling on planes will be even more nervous...to do this is just totally idiotic.

Hence the reason why you don't travel by plane.

 

As well as causing massive environmental damage.

 

*whistles away that I'm off on a day-trip to jersey next month by plane*

it's not the first instance and it won't be the last. This kind of dirty tricks costs a lot of money as well

When a country is on the "highest alert" for terrorism' date=' people travelling on planes will be even more nervous...to do this is just totally idiotic.[/quote']

I agree, the country shouldn't be on highest alert. or even the second highest

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/security/current-threat-level/

The five threat levels are

• critical - an attack is expected imminently
  
• severe - an attack is highly likely
  
• substantial - an attack is a strong possibility
  
• moderate - an attack is possible but not likely
  
• low - an attack is unlikely
  

Now we've been at 'Critical' and no attack happened, they were wrong

and now we're at 'Severe', the security services are going to look pretty silly if nothing happens.

 

They've been wrong on both occasions so far. In my book we're on 'Moderate' threat level if we're feeling exciting, or more realistically - 'Low'

 

That wee bit of paper saying there was a bomb on board, its the sort of thing that I'd write. And if I found it, I'd ignore it.

Now we've been at 'Critical' and no attack happened, they were wrong

Would you have preferred a 'Low' rating and hundreds of innocent lives lost? They'd look even sillier then.

That wee bit of paper saying there was a bomb on board, its the sort of thing that I'd write.

It's people like you who approach check-in desks and tell them all about the bomb in your luggage.

I agree, the country shouldn't be on highest alert. or even the second highest

http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/security/current-threat-level/

The five threat levels are

• critical - an attack is expected imminently
  
• severe - an attack is highly likely
  
• substantial - an attack is a strong possibility
  
• moderate - an attack is possible but not likely
  
• low - an attack is unlikely
  

Now we've been at 'Critical' and no attack happened, they were wrong

and now we're at 'Severe', the security services are going to look pretty silly if nothing happens.

 

They've been wrong on both occasions so far. In my book we're on 'Moderate' threat level if we're feeling exciting, or more realistically - 'Low'

 

That wee bit of paper saying there was a bomb on board, its the sort of thing that I'd write. And if I found it, I'd ignore it.

 

I think you kind of misread what Id written, sorry if it seemed unclear (in a different paragraph)....I wasnt talking about the government, I was talking about the idiots on my flight on Thursday night who were acting in a irresponsible way, given the circumstances, and the flight attendants on my flight who did nothing.

Would you have preferred a 'Low' rating and hundreds of innocent lives lost? They'd look even sillier then.It's people like you who approach check-in desks and tell them all about the bomb in your luggage.

 

Or leave bags next to pillers to cause a full-scale "everybody out"

Oh god....the most stupid thing was, when I finally got to America (and had to wait on the runway for an hour because of an "incident") and they were all shifty and everything.....and then we went to collect our baggage and had to wait forever. Then some toilets/pipes overflowed nearby and water was flowing towards everyone all over the floor and towards the baggage thing! It was ridiculous but funny with some security guy trying to mop it up. I was worried, though, I thought it might make them evacuate us or something, with the electrical stuff and everything, after all the delays we'd already had.

 

anyway. that was off topic. I agree, jokers are just wasting peoples time. People cant joke about these kind of things as everything has to be taken seriously, just in case. Idiots.

Would you have preferred a 'Low' rating and hundreds of innocent lives lost?

Yes, actually.

It's people like you who approach check-in desks and tell them all about the bomb in your luggage.

Not really, I just like leaving little notes

We have a terrorist here! Call the feds:o

We have a terrorist here! Call the feds:o

 

Well it's your board, so I think it's down to you to call them!!:P

We have a terrorist here! Call the feds:o

Quite the opposite, I'm trying to promote the opposite of terror, which could be serenity. Ignore the threats, just get on with your life with nothing to fear.

Well it's your board' date=' so I think it's down to [i']you [/i]to call them!!:P

 

Maybe tomorrow, I'm busy :)

 

Quite the opposite' date=' I'm trying to promote the opposite of terror, which could be serenity. Ignore the threats, just get on with your life with nothing to fear.[/quote']

 

How does wishing hundreds of deaths and leaving little terror notes promote serenity?

Maybe tomorrow, I'm busy :)

 

 

 

quote]

 

Hence your "name"!!:P

Maybe tomorrow, I'm busy :)

 

 

 

How does wishing hundreds of deaths and leaving little terror notes promote serenity?

 

 

Ian's busy working out a way how he can make a million pounds :laugh3:

How does wishing hundreds of deaths and leaving little terror notes promote serenity?

Two seperate issues

Firstly, in order for death from plane crashes to be as be a threat to the UK as car accidents, you'd need a 9/11-type event every month.

Car death in the UK per year on average = 50,000 (approx)

plane deaths in the UK per year on average = 200 (approx)

 

The terrorist threat has been blown out of all proportion and having 'Thread levels' does nothing to promote anti-terrorism. I'm not suggesting the police and secret services give up, just that maybe if they stopped trying to scare everyone.

 

and leaving little notes is kind of funny, like when I use glow in the dark paint to write on your bedroom ceiling "I can see you"