Air India flight to Dubai diverted on security fears

Dubai, Sep 13: Aviation authorities in the United Arab Emirates had diverted a Dubai-bound Air India flight to a military air base on ''security and safety'' concerns, the official WAM news agency reported today.

WAM said the flight had been due to land at Dubai airport, one of the busiest in the Middle East, late yesterday.

''As a precautionary measure the aircraft, the passengers and the luggage have been searched to verify safety,'' WAM quoted a civil aviation official as saying.

''All passengers were later transported to the Dubai International Airport...'' it said.

WAM gave no details about what caused the security concern.

Airport security officials were not immediately available for comment.

On Monday, al Qaeda's second in command Ayman al-Zawahri said in a video posted on the Internet that Gulf Arab states and Israel would be the militant network's next targets.

Security is normally tight in Dubai, the trade and tourism hub of the wealthy Gulf region.

Reuters