[Update 9:38 p.m. ET] The security issue was a bomb threat that had been called in at 10:43 a.m. (1:43 p.m. ET), Cpl. Sherrdean Turley of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police told reporters outside the airport.
[Update 8:28 p.m. ET] The plane, which was coming from Hong Kong, landed safely in Vancouver at 1:35 p.m. PT (4:35 p.m. ET), said Alisa Gloag, a spokeswoman for the Vancouver Airport Authority.
Passengers were deplaned and the aircraft was being towed to another area for inspection, said Gloag, who did not have information about how the threat was reported.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police is investigating, Gloag said.
[Posted 8:09 p.m. ET] Two CF-18 Hornets were scrambled from a Canadian military base Saturday to escort a Cathay Pacific Airways flight into Vancouver's airport, according to an official with the North American Aerospace Defense Command.
The action was taken in response to a "potential threat" to the flight, Maj. Holly Apostoliuk of NORADÂ told CNN.
The plane was escorted to the airport and directed to a restricted area.
No further details were immediately available.
- CNN's Greg Morrison and Nick Valencia contributed to this report.
my best husband is a caption for Cathey, its scarey.. thank goodness this wasn't him
Who gives a flying F where they came from you morons. Shut up. Amaricans already think we are stupid...don't give them proof!!
by the way the jets flew from Victoria Island near Vancouver.
That should have been my best friends husband!!!
I apologize for Tj Brown in advance. He is, unfortunately, typical of some of my fellow Americans who are steeped in arrogance.
"CFB Comox serves as a forward operating base for temporary deployments of the CF-18 Hornet fighter-interceptor."
Hey Mr. Right, for someone who lives in Comox you need to do a little more research.
I still think we should ban Cathy Pacific and JAL until we build another transcanada railroad!
Actually I'm from the east and could care less if Vancover or Comox or Winterpeg were traded for beads and shiny buttons!
What do urine samples and Canadian beer have in common?
The taste.
Ben Johnson was set up, just like CNN. This is actually a diversion by BP to move the media away from the Gulf, and the Iraq War and the Iceland Volcano and the Cannes Film Festival, and the stupid new Robin Hood Movie and...........
Bryan Macdougal wrote: "Amaricans already think we are stupid...don't give them proof!!"
Well, at least the morons you see yourself as being superior to know how to spell 'Americans'. Isn't unintentional irony just the best thing ever!
My head hurts!
Or conversely, Radar –
How is making love in a canoe like American beer?
They're both f***ing near water.
Radar I will trade you Sarah Palin for beads AND shiny buttons.
hey
lib4aclu
leave TJ alone...
you didn't even address my Ellana Kagan comment.
hey, burt renyold called, he wants is mustache back from sweet Elana....
so sweet she iz.
Wow........... Canada has fighter jets? Who wuuda thought~~~
I wonder if they are allowed to have guns on their fighter jets? Maybe a legal paper shooter that warns terrorists than something bad might happen to them and that Canada may just have to call the US Air Force if something big is to go down.
hahahahhah