Two Air France flights from U.S. diverted by bomb threats
Two Air France flights bound for Paris from the United States were diverted for several hours on Tuesday following anonymous bomb threats, and more than 700 passengers and crew were safely taken off the plane, Reuters reports. Flight 65, an Airbus A-380 that departed from Los Angeles, landed safely in Salt Lake City, where passengers and crew were escorted into the terminal, a spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration said. The Salt Lake Tribune, citing an airport official, said it was carrying 497 passengers and crew. A separate Boeing 777 that left Dulles International Airport outside Washington, D.C., Flight 55, was diverted to Halifax International Airport in Nova Scotia, which said 262 passengers and crew members had safely disembarked. In both case, police dogs searched the plane for evidence of explosives, but no details were disclosed. Air France said local authorities are carrying out complete inspections of the aircraft, passengers and luggage. Authorities will lead an investigation to identify the source of the telephone call made to one of Delta Air Lines Inc.’s reservation centers, the carrier said in an e-mailed statement. The two airlines are members of the SkyTeam alliance.
