Two Britons have been charged in connection with a bomb threat that grounded a Dubai-bound Emirates Airline flight shortly before it was due to take off from London.
Robert Fowles, 58, from the coastal town of Dover in south-east England, has been accused of making a bomb threat and being drunk on board an aircraft. He is in custody and scheduled to appear before Westminster Magistrates' court in London today.
Another passenger, Alexander McGinn, 48, also from Dover, has been charged with being drunk on board an aircraft. He has been released on bail and will appear before magistrates later this month.
Police have released without charge a 36-year-old man also arrested during the incident at London Heathrow Airport.
The Emirates flight was taxiing before take-off when a bomb threat was allegedly made to a member of the cabin crew. Armed police boarded the Boeing 777 and arrested the three men and the aircraft was searched, although nothing suspicious was found. The 331 passengers were taken off and sent to hotels for the night. They flew from Heathrow at 3pm on Saturday, landing in Dubai at 1.44am yesterday.
Airport security has been stepped up worldwide after an alleged attempt by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab on Christmas Day to set off a suicide bomb on an Amsterdam to Detroit flight. Abdulmutallab, a 23-year-old Nigerian, last week pleaded not guilty to six charges related to the incident.
dbardsley@thenational.ae
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if you go
The flights
Flydubai flies to Podgorica or nearby Tivat via Sarajevo from Dh2,155 return including taxes. Turkish Airlines flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Podgorica via Istanbul; alternatively, fly with Flydubai from Dubai to Belgrade and take a short flight with Montenegro Air to Podgorica. Etihad flies from Abu Dhabi to Podgorica via Belgrade. Flights cost from about Dh3,000 return including taxes. There are buses from Podgorica to Plav.
The tour
While you can apply for a permit for the route yourself, it’s best to travel with an agency that will arrange it for you. These include Zbulo in Albania (www.zbulo.org) or Zalaz in Montenegro (www.zalaz.me).
Opening Rugby Championship fixtures: Games can be watched on OSN Sports
Saturday: Australia v New Zealand, Sydney, 1pm (UAE)
Sunday: South Africa v Argentina, Port Elizabeth, 11pm (UAE)