El Al flight lands safely in Israel after bomb threat
Published 10:37 am Tuesday, July 5, 2016
TEL AVIV, Israel — An El Al flight from New York that was escorted by military jets in Europe following a bomb threat landed safely in Israel on Tuesday.
El Al President David Maimon said Flight 002 from John F. Kennedy airport touched down midday after an anonymous tip was received regarding a potential bomb threat onboard. Following the tip, France and Switzerland deployed military jets over their airspaces as escorts for the Boeing 747 plane flying toward Israel.
The threat was ultimately unfounded but it marked a rare security scare for El Al, generally regarded as one of the world’s most secure airlines.
At Ben-Gurion Airport, worried relatives awaited passengers in the arrival hall. The passengers themselves said they were unaware of the drama until landing.