Virgin Atlantic flight to London delayed in Dubai after bomb threat

Passengers were told by the captain of the Virgin flight that in the wake of the Manchester bombing, the airline was putting the safety of passengers first after a last-minute security alert. PHOTO: REUTERS

Updated

Published

May 23, 2017, 05:34 PM

DUBAI (AFP) - A Virgin Atlantic flight to London was delayed on Tuesday (May 23) in Dubai for extra security checks, authorities said, hours after a bombing killed at least 22 people in north-west England.

"Dubai Airports confirms that the departure of a Virgin Atlantic aircraft was delayed whilst additional security checks were carried out," the airport authority said on Twitter.

"These were carried out in close cooperation with Dubai Police and the airline, following which the aircraft was cleared for departure," it added.

The government of Dubai confirmed on Twitter that flight VS401 left Dubai International, the world's busiest hub for international passengers.

Authorities did not elaborate on the nature of the security alert that caused the more than three-hour delay.

Children were among the victims of the bombing late on Monday at packed pop concert in Manchester - the deadliest attack in Britain for more than a decade.