Air France investigates suspected bomb on plane heading to Paris

Air France investigators are working to confirm whether a package found on one of its planes, forcing it to make an emergency landing, contained explosives, authorities have said.

Flight AF463, with 459 passengers and 14 crew members on board, had left Mauritius at 9pm local time on Saturday and was due to arrive in Paris Charles de Gaulle at 5.50am local time.

After the suspicious device was discovered, the plane landed at Moi international airport in Mombasa, Kenya, before 1am local time.

Air France investigates suspected bomb on plane heading to Paris

Looks like a suspicious 'device' was found in the toilet of an Air France 777 from Mauritius to Paris, 459 people on board.

I'm looking around the search results now, some suggestions this may in fact be an explosive device - I know the toilets are specifically hardened to some extent but with the recent Egypt plane crash and the subsequent photos showing a supposed improvised bomb featuring a drinks can I wonder if this is what we have here.

That article is so disingemuosus. Is it a bomb or not? Out with it…

…working to confirm whether a package found…

…the suspicious device was discovered…

…“believed to be an explosive device has successfully been retrieved”…

…they are dismantling to establish if it had any explosives…

…It is a real bomb and it could have exploded…

…More will be disclosed…

This happened yesterday, stay tuned for more maybe terrifying conclusion… is it or isn't it a bomb on board!? Now a word from our sponsors.

RT confirming bomb found on board.

BOMB FOUND IN AIR FRANCE FLIGHT AFTER EMERGENCY LANDING IN KENYA - AIRPORT AUTHORITY

Well okay, then…

Kenya Airport authority statement (Facebook)

The Independent also reporting conformation of explosives. Link

Of course tis the season to be jolly, I guess we can't ignore that timing...

So curious it was found in flight. Seems to me they would sweep the plane prior to take off?

a reply to: kosmicjack

They also have 2 of the passengers in custody, looks like somehow they got it through in the hand luggage.

Just before Christmas again too!

I wonder, were the 2 passengers in custody escorted through security check-in by a gentleman in a suit, foregoing all security processes?

Frédéric Gagey, Air France chief executive, said on Sunday afternoon that the device was later found to have been made of cardboard and pieces of paper with a timer and "was not capable of causing an explosion".

False alarm!

"What looked like a box with a stopwatch in it"...... Funny old world

a reply to: Now_Then

"What looked like a box with a stopwatch in it"...... Funny old world

Nowadays you can't be too careful.

An Air France source gave more detail, saying it consisted of “two transparent digital clocks set to different times, apparently without a countdown, a black wire that looked like a radio clock aerial, and four rectangular cardboard boxes joined with adhesive and metal pliers.”

telegraph

Bit more detail from the Telegraph, I'm not sure what they mean here by metal pliers? Were the pliers present on the actual 'device' indicating that the metal detectors or xray machines were useless? Or there was evidence that that metal pliers were used in the making of it?

a reply to: Now_Then

Pliers can't go on a plane now? Their presence doesn't mean the equipment is useless, it means the operator didn't see anything suspicious when it went through.

originally posted by: Now_Then

Frédéric Gagey, Air France chief executive, said on Sunday afternoon that the device was later found to have been made of cardboard and pieces of paper with a timer and "was not capable of causing an explosion".

False alarm!

"What looked like a box with a stopwatch in it"...... Funny old world

Maybe that clock kid made it.

a reply to: Zaphod58

I suppose, but I thought even the smallest keyring penknife was forbidden, I just assumed hand tools as well but they have to draw a line, I suppose bladed articles would be prohibited but not pliers I have not flown since I was a kid and that was long before everything got so serious, one time I got up in the flight deck on UK to Malta.

a reply to: Now_Then

According to the TSA wrenches, pliers, and screwdrivers under 7 inches are allowed in your carryon bags. That will be similar for other areas as well.

If this was a fake bomb (as indicated by the description of rectangular cardboard boxes), then why would anyone think it should be caught in a screening? It consists of all acceptable materials, and not explosives at all, which WOULD have been detected. Could this be a test, or just a way of terrorizing the region/airline/passengers?

Regardless, it should still be prosecuted as if it was a real bomb IMO.

a reply to: Krakatoa

When it was first reported there were reports that this was an actual explosive device, not a hoax device. And then after the other reports came out I questioned the detail about the metal pliers.

a reply to: Now_Then

People are so scared these days the terrorists could create panic with fake bombs. Ten fake bombs would be enough to restrict air travel and trim out some of those less than necessary freedoms. The ones we don't need.

Imaginary bombs from imaginary enemies for imaginary proxy warfare.

OH!! THE ANTICIPATED HORROR!!!