Dirottamento per un volo OLYMPIC AIRLINES

[landingFCO]

Un 343 OA in volo da ATH a JFK ha dovuto fare un dirottamento su Londra STN per sospetto pacco bomba. 301 i pax a bordo. (tra l'altro 100% LF)


PLANE DIVERTED AFTER BOMB SCARE


"LONDON, England (CNN) -- An Olympic Airlines flight from Athens to New York was diverted Sunday to London due to a bomb scare, a spokesman for the Greek Ministry of Public Order told CNN.

Leftrias Ikonomou said that an anonymous caller phoned an Athens newspaper after the flight took off saying that there was a bomb on the plane.

The newspaper contacted Greek officials who then contacted the airline, and the flight was ordered to land immediately, he said.

The British Ministry of Defence said British RAF aircraft escorted the plane until it landed.

Nia Cairnie, a spokeswoman for London's Stansted Airport, said the Olympic Airlines flight 411 landed "on a full emergency" just after 30 p.m. (100 a.m. ET) and all passengers were evacuated safely.

A spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington said there were 298 passengers and 12 crew members on board. The company's Web site identified the plane as an Airbus 340.

A spokesman for Britain's Department for Transport said: "The plane has landed safely at Stansted and they are putting into place a well-rehearsed security operation to see if it is a hoax or a real threat."

Essex Police Spokeswoman Kim Perks said: "A bomb threat was made against the aircraft while it was in British airspace, and it was escorted by RAF fighter jets."

She said she believed two fighter jets had escorted the plane to Stansted.

"Explosives experts and officers with sniffer dogs are going onboard to search the aircraft," she added.

A spokeswoman for the U.S. Transportation Security Administration said the passengers and their bags were being rescreened at Stansted.

The plane had been en route to John F. Kennedy International Airport when it was diverted."

[landingFCO]

Scusate ma c'è un pò di confusione circa i pax a bordo. Su un'altra agenzia avevo letto 301. Qui leggendo bene sono 298 +12. Quindi in totale 310 (allora può darsi che abbiano invertito le cifre da 310 a 301).

Cmq a me risulta che il 343 OA sia configurato a 295 posti!
Dove li avranno messi i 3 che mancano ad arrivare a 298?

Cmq sia viaggiava bello pieno

[Zarco]

Bomb Threat Forces Flight Diversion

A bomb threat that mentioned Iraq forced a New York-bound Greek airliner to make an emergency landing Sunday at London's Stansted Airport escorted by military jets, authorities said.
An airport spokeswoman said an Athens newspaper had received a phone call saying there was a bomb on board the Olympic Airlines plane.

"Flight 411 Olympic for America has a bomb for Iraq," a caller to the Ethnos daily said, according to a tape the newspaper made available to journalists. In a second call, a voice that sounded like a different person said, "Are you listening? Flight 411 Olympic for America, bomb. America will see. Six o'clock message for you."

Authorities immediately notified the pilot of the call, and he asked for a military escort.

Britain's Royal Air Force scrambled planes to assist the airliner, the Ministry of Defense said. The plane, headed from Athens to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, landed safely at Stansted at 30 p.m., an airport spokeswoman said.

The spokeswoman said the plane, with 301 passengers on board, landed in "full emergency" status and was safely evacuated.

"It is not believed to be anything out of the ordinary at this stage," a Department of Transport spokesman said on condition of anonymity. "Fortunately nothing has exploded, if indeed there was a bomb on board, but we take all threats seriously."

Airline officials said the sweep of the aircraft would take up to four hours and then the passengers would continue their trip on the same plane.

The jet stood far from any terminals and fire trucks waited at the ready, several hundred yards away.

The Defense Ministry said the Royal Air Force jets had returned to base.

Greece sent no troops to Iraq, but did not object to the use of a U.S. air base on its soil to support the war. Public sentiment strongly opposed the U.S.-led invasion.

Fonte: Miron Varouhakis (Associated Press - 26/09/2004)


Foto: AP