Airport security staff at Cairo International Airport removed a suspect item of luggage from an EgyptAir flight on Tuesday after warnings of a bomb on board, in what was later revealed to be a false alarm.
Security personnel removed a suitcase from the plane before takeoff but found no bomb inside, according to an informed security source, who spoke to Al-Masry Al-Youm on condition or anonymity.
The plane — flight number 799 to Paris — took off a few minutes later.
The same source said that the removal of the suitcase was a precautionary measure, since there was no firm evidence of a bomb.
During the procudure, all passengers were disembarked from the plane, along with all their luggage. The aircraft was taken to a location away from the runway while the check was conducted.
The reports of a bomb warning was provided to Al-Masry Al-Youm by an anonymous navigational source at the airport.
Tuesday's bomb scare comes in the context of ongoing concerns about the level of security at Egyptian airports in the wake of a series of air-related emergencies and disasters.
In October last year, a Russian passenger jet crashed over Sinai after take-off from Sharm El-Sheikh, with the loss of 224 lives. Terrorists linked to the Islamic State group said they had brought the flight down with a bomb hidden in a soft-drink can.
In March, an Egyptian man hijacked an EgyptAir flight leaving Alexandria, claiming that he was wearing an explosive vest, which turned out to be fake. The flight was forced to land in Cyprus, with all crew and passengers released unharmed.
In May, an EgyptAir flight crashed into the Mediterranean Sea en route from Paris to Cairo, with the loss of 66 lives. Investigators examining the two plane's two black-box recorders say there is evidence of a fire on board the flight, although they have not yet published their conclusions on the cause of the crash. The tragedy sparked concerns about security at Charles de Gaulles Airport in Paris, from which the flight started.
The series of incidents has made a massive dent in Egypt's tourism industry, with the loss in tourism revenue and foreign currency hitting the economy hard.
Egypt has been working with foreign governments to fix concerns about flight safety, with a particular focus on security procedures are Egyptian airports.
The government is also involved in ongoing talks with Russia and other nations about the rull-scale resumption of tourist flights to Egyptian resorts.
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
