A hoax bomb threat caused a security scare on a Gulf Air flight before the plane eventually landed safely in Kuwait, authorities said on Sunday.
The man responsible for the hoax was arrested, Kuwait's Directorate General of Civil Aviation said. It said he falsely claimed a bomb was on board while the plane, belonging to Bahrain's flag carrier airline, was heading to Kuwait International Airport.
The alert was passed to Kuwait's interior ministry and triggered “security procedures and protocols” at the airport, said directorate spokesman Abdullah Al Rajhi in a statement published by the Kuwait News Agency. He said all passengers were “safe and sound” after landing at the airport.
Security checks confirmed there was no bomb on board flight GF213. The directorate said traffic at the airport was unaffected.
In a separate incident, a man was charged this week with making a bomb threat on his Instagram account while on board an Etihad flight earlier this year.
Azim Shah Abubakar Shah, 22, was charged by a court in Singapore on Thursday and faces a prison sentence of up to seven years, as well as a fine of up to $50,000. It is alleged he threatened to blow up the plane while travelling to Abu Dhabi in February.
