Man Arrested For Perpetrating A Bomb Hoax

An emailed statement sent by Emirates revealed a passenger on Flight EK011 from the airlines' base in Dubai to London's Gatwick Airport Sunday morning discovered a note "implying a security threat."

The Boeing 777 was only about 10 minutes from landing in London when the note was discovered, the statement said. The plane's 164 passengers and 18 crew were evacuated after landing and interviewed by police. The incident also caused the airport to close temporarily, while the aircraft was moved to a remote area of the airport.

"The aircraft is now being thoroughly inspected and the passengers are being interviewed by the local authorities," the statement continued. UK police found a "suspicious device" and later arrested a man reported to be in his 20s, on charges of involvement in a bomb hoax, Bloomberg reported.

In a statement posted on the police website, Chief Inspector Ed Henriet of Sussex Police said, "This was potentially an extremely serious situation and we immediately mounted an emergency response. At all times public safety was the key priority. We are very grateful for the calm and understanding response from those directly affected, including the passengers who were on board and those waiting to meet them."

FMI: www.emirates.com, www.sussex.police.uk