A plane carrying hundreds of haj pilgrims back to Indonesia from the Middle East was diverted after a bomb threat, the transport ministry and police said, the second such incident in a week.
Saudia Airlines flight SV5688 had flown from the Saudi city of Jeddah to the Omani capital Muscat before travelling on to Indonesia where it was due to land in Surabaya.
But air traffic control officers in Jakarta received a call about a bomb threat for the flight, prompting its diversion to Kualanamu International Airport in Medan city Saturday morning, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation said.
Regional airport authority head Asri Santosa said officers were checking the plane after its arrival but the airport on Sumatra island remained operational.
All 376 passengers, haj pilgrims from Java, and 13 crew members were safe at the airport, said North Sumatra police spokesman Ferry Walintukan.
He said a bomb squad was deployed to sweep the aircraft.
The passengers resumed their journey yesterday, said Asri.
On Tuesday, a plane carrying 442 haj pilgrims back from Saudi Arabia to Jakarta was also diverted to Medan after an e-mail bomb threat was sent to authorities. — AFP
