Bomb threat Manchester: Emirates Airline plane held at airport following incident- what we know so far

A suspected bomb threat on an Emirates Airline flight at Manchester Airport temporarily closed the transport hub last night. Flights were diverted from the airport, which is the third biggest in the UK. 

Greater Manchester Police issued a statement in regards to the event, stating they had been made aware of an “email claiming there was a suspicious package,” on board the Airbus A380 aircraft which came from Dubai.  

What have Greater Manchester Police said?

A GMP spokesperson said: "At around 7.20pm this evening (Tuesday October 17) Greater Manchester Police were made aware of an email claiming there was a suspicious package on a flight. The aircraft had landed at Manchester Airport and was held for further assessment.”

Which flights were diverted from Manchester Airport?

Three flights were diverted to nearby airports during the closure of Manchester. An easyJet flight from Mallorca was directed to Liverpool along with a British Airways flight from Heathrow, whilst Jet2’s flight from the Cypriot Airport of Paphos was diverted to Leeds Bradford. 

The closure of the airport lasted around 30 minutes, with GMP issuing an update when the airport reopened shortly before 8pm last night. The spokesperson added: “Searches and security checks have been completed, and no suspicious items have so far been found.

“Passengers have now disembarked the aircraft with extra officers on hand to answer any questions and offer visible reassurance.”

Emirates Airlines issue statement

A spokesperson for Emirates said: “Emirates crew and ground teams co-operated fully with the authorities. After the local authorities cleared the aircraft, it proceeded to the gate where passengers disembarked as normal.”