Kuwaits Jazeera Airways denies security threat to flights

KUWAIT CITY -  A Kuwaiti passenger Jazeera Airways plane made an emergency landing at Trabzon airport in northern Turkey on Thursday following a bomb threat reported to the airline’s headquarters, an official said.

The Jazeera Airways flight from Kuwait, with 51 passengers and six crew members on board, landed safely in Trabzon and all passengers were evacuated, Trabzon Gov. Ismail Ustaoglu, told reporters.

Security checks were conducted on the plane while the passengers’ baggage were still being searched, he said.

Later Jazeera Airways on Thursday dismissed a potential security threat to one of its flights, saying that it contacted with Kuwaiti authorities to check planes as a further precaution.

“Earlier today Jazeera Airways received a communication indicating a potential security situation. This communication was evaluated and deemed to be not credible,” the airline said in a statement.

However, with an abundance of caution, Jazeera has engaged with the authorities in Kuwait and around its network to safeguard the protection of passengers and crew, and all flights have been provided with additional screening measures as a precaution, it added.

Jazeera Airways said its security team was closely monitoring the situation, while apologizing for any delays that that passengers might have experiences during this time