Air France Flights Diverted Due To Bomb Threats


Two Air France flights en route to Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris were diverted due to bomb threats. Air France confirmed both flight diversions.

Air France Flight 055 flew from Washington D.C. to Paris, but was diverted to Halifax, Nova Scotia due to a bomb threat.

Halifax Stanfield International Airport spokesman, Peter Spurway, announced that Air France Flight 055 was able to land safely. The 298 passengers and crew members of the Boeing 777 were evacuated and taken to "a secure area in the airport terminal," the spokesman added, according to CBC News.

In a separate incident, Air France Flight 065 on its way to Paris from Los Angeles, had to be diverted to Salt Lake City after the ground crew called in a bomb threat, according to a U.S. government official, CNN reported. However, authorities cannot confirm who called the airline regarding the bomb threat or where it originated.

The place carrying 497 passengers landed at around 7:30 p.m. at the Salt Lake City International Airport. The FBI and airport police are still investigating the incident.

"The FBI and its law enforcement partners take all threats very seriously and respond accordingly," FBI special agent Todd Palmer said, according to KSL Broadcasting. "Several law enforcement agencies are working in concert, following established protocol, to determine the nature of the threats which caused the aircraft to divert."

It is not verified if both incidents are connected. The validity of the bomb threats have to be verified first.

"Diversion of flights are the most draconian response to a bomb threat," Juliette Kayyem, a CNN national security analyst, said, CNN added. "I think right now we take this seriously until we hear some explanation to the validity of the bomb threat."

Tags

Bomb threats, Washington D.C., Boeing 777, Los Angeles, Lax, Nova Scotia, Salt Lake City, Utah