Medan, N. Sumatra. A Saudia Airlines aircraft carrying 376 Indonesian hajj pilgrims and 13 crew from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to Surabaya in East Java, was forced to make an emergency landing at Kualanamu International Airport in Deli Serdang, North Sumatra, on Saturday morning following a suspected bomb threat.

Flight SV 5688 touched down safely at around 09:35 a.m. local time. Upon landing, the plane was immediately secured by a joint task force comprising airport personnel, police, and military officers. All passengers were safely evacuated to the terminal waiting area in a swift and orderly manner.

Aircraft Undergoing Full Security Sweep

Live report from Beritasatu.com showed the aircraft parked on the apron with tactical vehicles and fire engines on standby. Bomb disposal units from the North Sumatra Police Mobile Brigade and the Indonesian Army’s Bukit Barisan Command were deployed to inspect the aircraft.

Colonel Asrul Harahap, spokesperson for the Bukit Barisan Military Command, confirmed that a full sweep of the aircraft was underway. “Joint forces from the military and police, including the military's bomb squad and the police's bomb unit, are still conducting a thorough sterilization on the ground,” Asrul told reporters.

Although Kualanamu briefly suspended operations during the emergency, normal airport activity has since resumed. Authorities are maintaining heightened security around the apron and passenger terminal.

Second Bomb Threat in Three Days

Saturday's incident marks the second bomb-related scare involving Saudia Airlines within three days. On Thursday, flight SV 5276, which was transporting 442 pilgrims from Depok, West Java, to Jakarta, also made an emergency landing at Kualanamu after receiving a bomb threat via email.

Security forces conducted a full evacuation and inspection of that aircraft, but no explosives were found.

The recurrence of such incidents has raised serious concerns among hajj pilgrims and their families about the safety of air travel during the pilgrimage season.

Police Coordinate with FBI on Threat Investigation

Indonesian National Police Chief Listyo Sigit Prabowo said the authorities are working with the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to investigate the threatening emails sent to Saudia Airlines.

“We are cooperating with the FBI,” Listyo told reporters at Police Headquarters in Jakarta on Saturday. “We are also discussing the jurisdiction of the case, whether it falls under Indonesian law or elsewhere. This is still being investigated.”

As of publication, Saudia Airlines has not issued an official statement regarding the two bomb threats or possible security breaches in their hajj flight operations.

Add as a preferred source on Google +