Air India flight diverted after security alert

Authorities in Dubai diverted an Air India plane to a military air base after receiving information concerning the security of the aircraft, the official Emirates News Agency WAM reported today.

Quoting an official at the Dubai General Civil Aviation Authority, the agency said “concerned authorities at Dubai International Airport ordered an Air India passenger plane to change course and land instead at al-Minhad air base in Dubai” late yesterday.

“The Authority received information on the safety and security status of the Dubai-inbound plane and precautionary checks were made to ensure the safety of the plane and passengers,” the official added.

The agency did not say what specifically prompted authorities to divert the plane and it was not clear whether the plane had posed a terror threat.

After searching the plane and the passengers, authorities transported all the passengers to Dubai International Airport, to process their entry procedures into the city, the Gulf’s tourism and business hub.

The incident came two days after al-Qaida’s No.2, Ayman al-Zawahri warned in a videotape that the terror group would strike the Persian Gulf and Israel.

Dubai is one of the emirates that make up the UAE.