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Bomb hoax grounds Etihad flight in Pakistan

INT61International/Aviation/TerrorismBomb hoax grounds Etihad flight in PakistanDubai, Oct 15 IANS An Etihad Airways flight from Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates UAE to Pakistan's capital Islamabad was forced to land at Karachi Wednesday afternoon following a bomb hoax.According to reports, a note warning about a bomb on board the aircraft was found in the plane's toilet.The flight, EY231, had 193 passengers and 14-member crew on board.After the passengers disembarked and a thorough check of the aircraft revealed that the threat was a hoax, the flight was cleared for takeoff by Karachi airport authorities.The Abu Dhabi-headquartered airline said the flight would leave Karachi for Islamabad later in the evening."The safety of our customers is of paramount importance and the pilot's thorough training led to his correct decision to divert the aircraft to Karachi and thankfully, the note was found to be a hoax after the authorities searched the plane thoroughly," Iain Burns, an Etihad spokesman, said in a statement. "We apologise to our customers for the inconvenience caused and we thank them for their patience, calmness and understanding," he added.--Indo-Asian News Serviceab/am198 Words*15102045