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SALT LAKE CITY — The diversion of a Paris-bound French passenger jet to Salt Lake City Tuesday was prompted primarily by logistical concerns for safely landing the giant airliner.
Officials said the pilot of Air France Flight 65 chose Salt Lake City International Airport because it was the nearest facility capable of handling the enormous Airbus A-380. The diversion was made after the airline received an anonymous call warning of a bomb threat to the plane.
"Salt Lake City was in the vicinity of where they were, and the runway is big enough," said airport spokeswoman Bianca Shreeve.
Because Salt Lake City is a hub for Delta Airlines, an Air France partner, it provided alternate travel options for passengers in case they needed them, Shreeve said.
The flight, carrying more than 500 passengers and crew, landed in Salt Lake City around 7:20 p.m. Authorities evacuated everyone aboard, conducting a sweep of the plane and its cargo using K-9 units to search for possible explosives.
According to a statement from Air France, local authorities "carried out complete inspections of the aircraft, the passengers and their luggage, confirming a false alert."
Investigators were able to clear the aircraft and allow it to resume its planned flight to Paris without further incident. Officials said an investigation would be led by U.S. authorities to identify the source of the phone call.
"The FBI and its law enforcement partners will continue to thoroughly investigate the threats made to Air France and will follow all leads to their logical conclusions," said FBI spokesman Todd Palmer in a statement.
"The FBI, its law enforcement partners, the airlines and various airport authorities jointly train and prepare for such incidents. There are well-established safety and investigative protocols in place to handle these events," Palmer said.
Passenger Keith Rosso was on the diverted flight and told CNN he had just finished dinner when the staff took trays away and said the plane was landing because of "unsafe flying conditions."
Buses greeted the plane and all passengers were placed on the buses and taken to a Delta holding area where they were questioned.
Shreeve said airport police and emergency response staff, along with other local agencies, train for events such as the bomb scare.
"We all coordinate with each other on a regular basis," she said. "We are prepared in case (something) happens."
