Turkish Airlines Flight Diverted to Canada after Bomb Threat

A Turkish Airlines flight that was going to Istanbul from New York was diverted to Canada after receiving bomb threats. The passenger aircraft had 256 people on board and landed safely during the early morning hours on Sunday. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said that it was investigating a bomb threat that had caused the flight to divert and land in Canada. The plane landed in an emergency at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Nova Scotia.

Investigation on the Turkish Airlines Flight Threat

The RCMP in Nova Scotia said that the threat on the Turkish Airlines flight is still being investigated. When asked for a comment, they refused to make one and told the media that they are trying to identify the source of the threat. They said that the investigation was on, and they are looking for the person or persons responsible for this. The RCMP officials also said that they will search Turkish Airlines planes for explosives using trained dogs. A lot of hustle and bustle and disturbance was caused after the threat, and passengers appeared visibly scared. But the situation was brought under control quickly by officials, and all the passengers are now safe.

According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the bomb threat was received at 10:50 p.m. local time. As per the flight tracking sites, the Turkish Airlines flight had already taken off from the John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York by the time the threat was made. However, there are no reports about how exactly the threat was made. With the help of bomb sniffing dogs, the police declared that no potential explosive was found and declared the plane safe.

Passengers were taken in buses to the terminal building. The security check was easily executed because of proper cooperation from the passengers. Once the check was done, they were expected to get back on the plane and continue their journey. Turkish Airlines made no official comment over the entire incident.

Not the First Threat, Matter of Concern for Countries

The bomb threat to Turkish Airlines was not the first one. In fact, it was third straight threat to a flight that was bound from the United States of America to Europe. Two Air France flights headed from US cities to Paris were diverted on Tuesday. They were later given the clear, but there was a ruckus among the passengers after the threats.

Air France Flight 55 landed safely at the same airport in Halifax after departing from Washington’s Dulles International Airport, and Air France Flight 65, en route from Los Angeles to Paris, was diverted to Salt Lake City. All airlines including the Turkish Airlines are on edge due to the recent dreadful terrorist incidents, especially after the bombing of a Russian passenger jet over Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula that killed all 224 people on board last month. Responsibility for the bombing was claimed by Islamic militant group ISIS.

There is no denying that the attacks in Paris have shaken up the world and strengthened ISIS’s influence on peace of mind.