20000104

Bomb hoax call delays PIA flight

Recorder Report

Lahore: All the passengers of a PIA Karachi-bound flight on Monday were off-loaded after the airport authorities received an anonymous phone call about planting a bomb in the plane, which was scheduled to take off at 5.00 p.m.

Later, after a thorough search by the bomb disposal squad the flight was cleared and it took off at about 9.00 p,m.

At about 4.30 p.m. when all the passengers including DG of CAA were on board an anonymous call was received by the flight inquiry department, saying a bomb had been planted in the Karachi-bound airbus PK 407, that might explode any time.

Soon after receiving the call, bomb disposal squad was called, who after off-loading the passengers, thoroughly searched out the plane, but found nothing. It cleared the flight at about 7.30 p.m. and it could take off at about 9.00 p.m.