Lufthansa flight to Israel forced to make emergency landing after bomb scare

Airline Industry Information, Oct 6, 2004

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

A Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt, Germany to Tel Aviv, Israel had to make an emergency landing in Cyprus after a bomb threat was received by German authorities on 5 October 2004.

Two Israeli fighter jets were scrambled to escort the aircraft to Cyprus but the incident has caused a diplomatic row between the Cypriot authorities and Israel. The aircraft was escorted out of Israeli airspace and into Cypriot airspace without permission. A spokesperson for the Cypriot authorities said that explanations for the action will be sought.

The Boeing 747-400 carrying 331 passengers and 16 crew made a safe landing at Larnaca Airport on the island, where the aircraft was searched and no explosives were found. Lufthansa said that it did not believe the threat was serious but that Israel had insisted on the diversion. The hoax was the latest in a string of threats that have forced aircraft into emergency landings across Europe, reports Reuters.

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