Halifax’s airport garnered international attention this past week as three flights were either diverted or delayed due to bomb threats.
RCMP in Halifax responded to two separate security threats that came in less than 12 hours apart at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.
“Anytime a flight is diverted to Halifax international airport or is delayed due to a threat, it’s obviously very concerning,” RCMP spokeswoman Const. Tammy Lobb said.
One was a Turkish Airlines A330 passenger jet travelling from New York to Istanbul, Turkey carrying 256 passengers and crew.
Once a bomb threat was received, police said the aircraft was rerouted to Halifax and landed at 12:53 a.m.
After searching the aircraft, RCMP found no explosives and turned the plane back over to Turkish Airlines around 4:30 a.m.
Around three hours later, police said they received a second call about a bomb threat – this time made against WestJet flight 229 bound for Calgary.
Again RCMP officers, along with bomb-sniffing dogs and members of the explosives disposal unit searched the aircraft, luggage and cargo, after 96 passengers and six crew members were evacuated.
The search concluded around 9 a.m., with no explosive found and the aircraft released back to WestJet .
“The details pertaining to the threat against WestJet flight 229 bound for Calgary won’t be released, as doing so could jeopardize the investigation,” Lobb said.
“However, I can confirm that the threat is not related to the threat made against (the) Turkish Airlines flight.”
Nov. 17, an Air France flight bound for Paris was diverted to Halifax and second flight was diverted to Salt Lake City, Utah due to “anonymous threats,” but nothing was found on either aircraft.
Lobb said she wouldn’t speculate on the frequency of the threats, but emphasized the incidents were not specific to Halifax’s airport.
“We want to remind citizens that the Air France and Turkish Airlines flight were diverted to Halifax because it was the closet airport,” she said.
Although this weekend’s incidents remain under investigation, Lobb said she does not believe extra security has been added at the airport.
Bomb threat ‘callous disregard for other people’: Halifax airport
Halifax police say the bomb threat made against a WestJet flight bound for Calgary came from inside Nova Scotia.
“We can confirm that the threat was received from within Nova Scotia,” RCMP spokeswoman Const. Tammy Lobb said later Nov. 22.
“Anymore specific details aren’t being released at this time.”
The vice-president of corporate communications at Halifax Stanfield International Airport called the incident an “irritant,” while saying the diversion of a Turkish Airlines flight that happened earlier morning, and an Air France flight that was rerouted to Halifax last week, were more coincidental given the airport’s location.
“It shows a callous disregard for other people,” Spurway said.
“I would be very pleased to have the RCMP be able to apprehend the people who did this.”
Nov. 22, RCMP in Halifax responded to two separate security threats that came in less than 12 hours apart at the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.
“Anytime a flight is diverted to Halifax international airport or is delayed due to a threat, it’s obviously very concerning,” RCMP spokeswoman Const. Tammy Lobb said Nov. 22.
One was a Turkish Airlines A330 passenger jet travelling from New York to Istanbul, Turkey carrying 256 passengers and crew.
Once a bomb threat was received, police said the aircraft was rerouted to Halifax and landed at 12:53 a.m.
After searching the aircraft, RCMP found no explosives and turned the plane back over to Turkish Airlines around 4:30 a.m.
Around three hours later, police said they received a second call about a bomb threat – this time made against WestJet flight 229 bound for Calgary.
Again RCMP officers, along with bomb-sniffing dogs and members of the explosives disposal unit searched the aircraft, luggage and cargo, after 96 passengers and six crew members were evacuated.
The search concluded around 9 a.m., with no explosive found and the aircraft released back to WestJet .
“The details pertaining to the threat against WestJet flight 229 bound for Calgary won’t be released, as doing so could jeopardize the investigation,” Lobb said.
“However, I can confirm that the threat is not related to the threat made against (the) Turkish Airlines flight.”
Nov. 17, an Air France flight bound for Paris was diverted to Halifax and second flight was diverted to Salt Lake City, Utah due to “anonymous threats,” but nothing was found on either aircraft.
Lobb said she wouldn’t speculate on the frequency of the threats, but emphasized the incidents were not specific to Halifax’s airport.
“We want to remind citizens that the Air France and Turkish Airlines flight were diverted to Halifax because it was the closet airport,” she said.
Although this weekend’s incidents remain under investigation, Lobb said she does not believe extra security has been added at the airport.
Bomb threat ‘callous disregard for other people’: Halifax airport
Halifax police say the bomb threat made against a WestJet flight bound for Calgary came from inside Nova Scotia.
“We can confirm that the threat was received from within Nova Scotia,” RCMP spokeswoman Const. Tammy Lobb said later Nov. 22.
“Anymore specific details aren’t being released at this time.”
The vice-president of corporate communications at Halifax Stanfield International Airport called the incident an “irritant,” while saying the diversion of a Turkish Airlines flight that happened earlier morning, and an Air France flight that was rerouted to Halifax last week, were more coincidental given the airport’s location.
“It shows a callous disregard for other people,” Spurway said.
“I would be very pleased to have the RCMP be able to apprehend the people who did this.”