Dubai, Muscat: A Dubai-bound Jet Airways flight from Mumbai made an emergency landing at Muscat International Airport on Thursday afternoon after a mid-air bomb scare. The flight (9W-536) was diverted to Muscat airport after the pilot received a bomb threat.
The plane landed in Muscat around 1pm, an official at the Oman Airport Management Company (OAMC), told Gulf News. The official added that explosives team brought to the spot found no explosives on the flight.
“All passengers and crew were disembarked safely before local security forces began investigating the incident,” said the official. The official pointed out that the flight landed safely and the plane had been taken to a remote bay.
The motive behind the false threat was not immediately known, the official added, saying an investigation about the incident is underway.
@mumbaitimes pic.twitter.com/F7LK0oQRzY— Jet Airways (@jetairways) July 9, 2015
Jet Airways told Gulf News that the flight, “which departed from Mumbai at 1246 hrs for Dubai, has been diverted to Muscat due to a security alert. The flight with 54 guests and seven crew on board landed at Muscat airport at 1320 hrs local time (1450 hrs India). All guests and crew have been deplaned and taken to the airport terminal. Local security agencies are on location.”
Apparently, the alert came from a prank tweet.
This tweet 8 hrs ago caused a Bomb Scare in Jet Airways. @PartapSurinder may get arrested if Cops trace him. https://t.co/D50P83yvam— Panun Kashmir (@WandererSS6) July 9, 2015
Bomb spotted in #JetAirways 9W-536 from Mumbai to Dubai dep. At 12:25 from CSIA...... #OperationBadla— Surinder Partap (@PartapSurinder) July 9, 2015
In 2013, a Kuala Lumpur-bound Oman Air flight from Muscat had to make an emergency landing in Mumbai on after a mid-air bomb scare, which turned out to be a hoax.
With inputs from Faisal Masudi, Staff Reporter
