Bomb threat on airBaltic flight investigated by German police

An airBaltic flight from Rīga to Berlin landed May 14 at its destination without problems after the airline received a bomb threat, officials said.

Flight BT217 landed five minutes ahead of schedule at 12:30 p.m. local time, an airBaltic spokesperson said in a press release posted on the airline’s Web site.

“All the 74 passengers and four crew are in safety outside the aircraft and they follow security instructions and procedures by law enforcement bodies,” according to the press release.

The flight on a Fokker 100 aircraft left Rīga at noon local time headed for Tegel Airport in Berlin. Latvian authorities informed German police that an anonymous caller had claimed a bomb was on board the aircraft, according to news reports.

The Associated Press reported that German authorities took the aircraft to a secured area at Tegel Airport and were questioning passengers.

The flight was operated by airBaltic partner Blue Line, a French airline.

Andris Straumanis is a special correspondent for and a co-founder of Latvians Online. From 2000–2012 he was editor of the website.

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