THUNDER BAY – NEWS – There were some frightening moments aboard a Vancouver bound Westjet 737 last night. A Westjet flight from Vancouver to Ottawa was diverted to Thunder Bay just after 10:30OM EDT on Thursday August 3, 2016. RCMP had received information of a possible explosive onboard the aircraft.
The Thunder Bay Airport Authority activated their Emergency Communication Centre to deal with the incident. The Thunder Bay Police Service, Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue, and the Ontario Provincial Police responded to the airport.
The Westjet 737 landed safely in Thunder Bay, and was parked in a secure area of the airport.
125 passengers and the crew from Westjet flight 142 were safely escorted off the aircraft. The aircraft will be searched at some point today.
The Thunder Bay Police Service are conducting the investigation which will include speaking with passengers and crew of the flight.
On behalf of all parties involved in this emergency, it is important to emphasize that the safety of passengers, crew and emergency responders is the top priority.
Thunder Bay International Airport, Westjet airline personnel, and emergency responders are all well trained to deal with these incidents.