Air France flight to Paris diverted to Halifax due to threat

Air France Flight 65 took off from LAX around 4 p.m. but was diverted to Salt Lake City after a bomb threat was reportedly made against the aircraft, according to several reports, including CNN.

Air France Flight 65, headed from Los Angeles to Paris, was diverted to Salt Lake City after bomb threat was called in from the ground, a US government official said.

Halifax airport vice-president Peter Spurway said the floight landed safely at Stanfield Airport late Tuesday.

Hundreds of passengers on each plane were evacuated after the flights landed.

Canada’s CBC News reports another Air France flight, heading from Washington, DC, to Paris, was diverted to Halifax. The Halifax Airport tweeted that 262 passengers and crew members had been aboard.

In a brief statement, Air France said both flights had been the “subjects of anonymous threats received after their respective take-offs”.

Authorities in both the USA and Canada were preparing to search the planes with dogs, officials said.

“It’s an RCMP matter”, Mr Spurway said referring to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. One of those flights was diverted to Salt Lake City.