US-bound Egypt plane diverted after threat

LONDON -- British fighter jets escorted a plane from Cairo bound for New York to an emergency landing in the U.K. after a passenger discovered a letter threatening the aircraft, officials said Saturday.

Flight 985 to John F. Kennedy Airport had around 300 passengers onboard when it was diverted to Glasgow’s Prestwick Airport after a passenger found the letter in a lavatory, EgyptAir chairman Tawfiq Assi said.

Police in Glasgow said the flight was diverted after a “suspicious note” was discovered, adding that there are no reports of any injuries and that officers are making arrangements for the 326 passengers to disembark.

At that point all passengers will be interviewed by police, the local police force said.

The BBC said one of its producers, Nada Tawfik, had discovered the note, written in pencil on a napkin, with the words “I’ll set this plane on fire.” She said that after discovering the note by the lavatory sink, she alerted cabin crew who then locked the toilet.

Britain’s Ministry of Defense confirmed that fighter jets were scrambled to escort the plane to the Glasgow airport,

Assi said the flight hopefully will resume its journey to New York following inspections.