Plane diverted to Stansted after bomb threat
A passenger jet bound for a London airport was forced to divert after reports of a bomb threat sparked a security alert in the early hours of today.
Around 232 people were reported to be on board the aircraft, which was flying from Hong Kong to London’s Heathrow.
But the Virgin plane was diverted to Stansted Airport after reports of a bomb threat.
It landed safely at around 5.30am today.
A spokesman for Virgin Atlantic confirmed that Flight VS201 was diverted to London Stansted as a “precautionary measure”.
The aircraft, which was an Airbus A340600, was carrying 214 passengers and 18 crew.
Passengers and the aircraft were undergoing security checks and Essex Police are continuing to investigate the incident at the airport.
The Virgin Atlantic spokesman added: “The aircraft and passengers are now subject to full security checks by the appropriate authorities.
“The flight departed Hong Kong at 23.42 local time and following the diversion landed safely at Stansted at 5.23am local time.
“The safety and welfare of our crew and passengers is Virgin Atlantic’s top priority and we would like to thank passengers for their patience and we regret any inconvenience caused to them.”
The security alert is the latest in a number of incidents in which planes have been diverted as a result of threats. In the other cases, the threats have turned out to be hoaxes.
