PARIS—An Air France flight from San Francisco to Paris was diverted to Montreal after an unspecified anonymous threat, and the passengers landed and disembarked safely before authorities declared it a false alarm.
At least 15 fire trucks and police cars met Flight 83 at the Montreal airport, and Canadian authorities verified the aircraft, passengers and baggage.
Air France tweeted Tuesday: “after a full security search, false alert confirmed by local authorities following an anonymous threat.” Earlier, the airline had said the crew decided to divert “as a precautionary measure.”
Air France said an investigation will be carried out into the origin of the threat, and promised to send passengers safely to their destinations. Spokeswoman Ulli Gendrot said all passengers were safely off the plane. She would not elaborate on the nature of the threat.
Airlines around the world face sporadic threats and occasionally divert planes as a result.
Tensions are unusually high in France, which has been in a state of emergency since Islamic extremist suicide bombings and shootings in Paris on Nov. 13 that killed 130 people, the deadliest attacks on French soil in decades.
