Flight from Cairo diverted for ‘security reasons’

An Etihad Airways flight from Cairo to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, was diverted to a military air base in Dubai on Sunday for “security reasons,” the airline says.

The Abu Dhabi-based airline, the UAE’s national carrier, says 128 passengers and seven crew members on Etihad flight 650 disembarked after being diverted to Dubai’s al-Minhad air base. They were transferred by bus to Abu Dhabi after they and their luggage underwent additional security screenings.

Security officials searched the Airbus A321 and found nothing suspicious, Etihad says. The plane later returned to Abu Dhabi.

The airline gives no details on the nature of the threat.

Twitter accounts associated with sympathizers of the Islamic State group tweeted out messages overnight threatening airplanes, with one mentioning the Etihad flight specifically.

— AP