Fighter jets escort Cathay Pacific plane in light of bomb threat
A CF18 Hornet fighter jet, acting under the North American Aerospace Defence Command, intercept a Cathay Pacific passenger plane headed for Vancouver on Saturday May 15, 2010. Two Canadian fighter jets escorted a Cathay Pacific passenger plane to Vancouver International Airport on Saturday due to a security threat. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Patrick Beaton
CP – Two Canadian fighter jets escorted a Cathay Pacific passenger plane to Vancouver International Airport on Saturday due to a security threat.
Defence department officials and the RCMP said there was a bomb threat aboard the plane which originated in Hong Kong, but did not elaborate on details.
CF18 Hornet fighter jets acting under the North American Aerospace Defence Command intercepted the plane headed for Vancouver and flew alongside it until it landed safely around 1:40 local time.
The fighter jets have the ability to respond to security threats up to and including lethal force.
“As a precaution, NORAD fighters escorted the aircraft until it landed safely in Vancouver,” said NORAD’s Major Holly Apostoliuk.
Apostoliuk said the jets responded quickly from their base in Comox, B.C. once information on a potential threat was received.
They did not land with flight CX838, and have since returned to their base.
Television images showed the plane on an isolated stretch of tarmac, away from the main airport terminal.
RCMP said the passengers were safely taken off the plane and no one was injured.
Kevin Yip, who was in the airport’s arrivals area, he said he waited for his friends for three hours while the plane sat on the tarmac.
He said the family of four is moving to Canada from Malaysia and their first day on Canadian soil is not a good one.
“They’re starting their lives here in Canada,” Yip said. “It’s terrible. It’s not a way to land in your new country.”
The RCMP was investigating the incident.
Tags: bomb threat, Cathay Pacific, CF-18, jet fighterRelated posts
Short URL: http://www.chineseinvancouver.ca/?p=10736
I smell bullshit in this.
國泰航空 公司一架從香港飛往加拿大 的客機周六遭受炸彈恐嚇，北美航空聯合司令部（NORAD）啟動緊急機制，由加拿大空軍派出兩架戰機升空攔截及護航。飛機最後在溫哥華 機場安全降落，所有乘客和行李一度被扣查。保安人員登機搜索，未發現可疑危險品，事件中無人受傷，也無人被捕。
發生今次事故的是國泰航空「CX838」號班機，由香港飛往溫哥華。飛機於當地時間1時40分左右降落，馬上被拖到跑道附近一處空地隔離。記者只見到其中一道機艙門打開，沒有乘客下機，只有一、兩人在舷梯走上走落，氣氛緊張。當局其後證實，在機上沒有發現炸彈，只是一場虛驚。
4小時後，所有乘客都獲准下機，但客機仍繼續留在原位。其中一名乘客接受記者訪問時稱：「我們都感到十分驚慌，戰機與客機距離很近。」
另一名女乘客說：「機師和機組人員都沒有透過廣播通知乘客究竟發生了甚麼事。後來有乘客望出窗外，發現有戰機伴著客機飛行，但由於大部分人都不知道有事發生，機艙內並無出現恐慌場面。」
消息人士透露，北美航空聯合司令部和加拿大警方於當地時間周六早上10時43分左右接到通知，知道該架國泰客機出現不尋常狀況。為安全起見，北美航空聯合司令部決定通知加拿大空軍，在卑詩省科莫斯空軍基地派遣兩架CF-18「大黃蜂式」戰鬥機升空，近距離護航，直至客機在溫哥華機場安全降落。
I wish I can read Chinese………….and able to speak Mandarin.