Etihad Cairo-Abu Dhabi flight diverted to Dubai airbase over alert

LATEST UPDATE: The UAE's General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) on Sunday said that the Sheikh Zayed Air Navigation Centre has coordinated with the relevant authorities on diverting Etihad Airways flight EY650, Cairo to Abu Dhabi, to Al Minhad Airbase in Dubai following a security alert.

Etihad Airway's flight EY650  landed safely at the airbase. It was carrying 128 passengers and seven crew members, said the GCAA.

GCAA said investigations are underway into the matter.

UPDATE: An Etihad Airways spokesperson has confirmed flight EY650 has been searched, following a security alert on Sunday morning, but "nothing of  suspicious nature was found."

The ariline further stated all passengers aboard the flight have now been transferred by coach with their luggage to Abu Dhabi Airport.

Passengers who missed connecting flights are being rebooked on new services as quickly as possible, Etihad added

EARLIER REPORT

An Abu Dhabi-bound Etihad Airways flight was diverted to Minhad Airbase in Dubai over a security alert on Sunday morning.

Etihad’s Flight EY650 from Cairo was two hours into its flight time before an alert was sounded at approximately 8am UAE time.

The aircraft, an Airbus A321, was carrying 128 passengers and seven crew members.

An Etihad spokesperson confirmed the flight landed around one hour later at around 9am at Minhad Airbase and all passengers were deplaned immediately.

In a statement,  Etihad Airways said: “A security alert was received by Etihad Airways at 8am (UAE time), at which time EY650 was diverted. It landed normally shortly after 9am. Passengers were disembarked from the aircraft. “

The carrier stated it will release further information as soon as it is available.

In a further update, Etihad stated passengers aboard the flight have disembarked. The passengers will be security screened in Minhad before transferring by coach with their luggage to Abu Dhabi International Airport, the spokesman said.

Those passengers with connecting flights will be met at the airport and rebooked on the next available flights to their final destinations.

EY650 departed Cairo at 3.30am (Cairo time) and was expected to land in the UAE capital at 9.10am.

On May 5, an Air Arabia flight from Kuwait was boarded by authorities after landing in Minhad airbase over a security threat.

However, a spokesperson stated later that Flight G9128, bound for Sharjah, was diverted over an ‘unruly passenger’.

 

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