[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.
lib4aclu
stop the lameness.
if you are going to make a comment, think of something original
Eager beaver I know. Still smarting from the last quip, eh?
Hi,
I don't usually make comment on this things. but lib4aclu
what up?
maybe you should trade your keyboard in for a crayon.
Helen Sort of like YOU, huh?
TJT If I do, I am sure I can get pointers from you on how to use it.
Actually, the jets were scrambled from Comox. That's on Vancouver Island.
I spoke my word. good night and good luck.
Hope your mother doesent know that you speak to others like this.
Helen Don't be a hypocrite.
I'm with TJT.
you are a lost cause.
good luck.
hope this pays well for you.
Well. I guess I ran them all off with my sharp crayon.
Ok, what exactly was the point of a fighter jet escort in response to a bomb threat? If there's a bomb, the plane blows up and falls out of the sky. No fighter jet required. As it turns out, there was no bomb and the plane landed safely. Again, no fighter jet required. Once again the government needs to appear to be "doing something" even when it is a waste of time and money.
It was probably threatened by UFO's.
Apparently the fighters were called from duty over Quebec, the great Iran of the north?
and hey, I know Cathy Pacifc, she used to buy her fart spray with foodstamps from Sarah Palin