Passenger held after plane bomb hoax

Passengers aboard a Fly Dubai aircraft at the Queen Alia International Airport were evacuated on Monday after a passenger, who reportedly works as a co-pilot, made a bomb threat, a security official told AFP.

“A Jordanian passenger told a flight attendant he wanted to see the captain, just as the aircraft was about to take off. When his request was refused, he claimed he had a bomb and threatened to blow the plane up,” the official said.

“Police were alerted and managed to evacuate the passengers before beginning a search of the plane,” he said, adding that “no explosive device was found”.

“The passenger who made the bomb threat is a co-pilot who works in the United Arab Emirates. He said he was just making a joke. He was arrested, and an investigation is now under way,” the security official added.