"Bomb Threat Forces Plane Diverted to U.K."

Sunday, September 26, 2004

Bomb Threat Forces Plane Diverted to U.K.
By BETH GARDINER
The Associated Press


LONDON (AP) - 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 Airbus A340
airliner, the Ministry of Defense said. The plane, headed from Athens to New
York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, landed safely at Stansted,
north of London, at 3:30 p.m., an airport spokeswoman said.

Olympic said in a statement that it learned of the threat about two hours
earlier and notified the pilot immediately.

Chief executive Leonard Vlamis said the passengers had remained calm.

"There was no problem inside the flight, everything was normal," he said.

He emphasized that strict security measures had been observed at Athens'
Eleftherios Venizelos airport.

The Stansted spokeswoman said the plane, with 301 passengers and crew 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.

Essex Police said the passengers had been taken into a reception center and
would be interviewed. The Airbus 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.


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