LONDON, Sept 26 (AFP) - British military jets were scrambled Sunday to escort an Olympic Airlines aircraft en route from Athens to New York to Stansted airport near London after a bomb alert, defence ministry and airline officials said Sunday.
All 301 passengers were safely evacuated.
"A number of RAF planes were sent to the civil aircraft in the last hour and a half to escort it to Stansted Airport at the request of civilian authorities," a defence ministry spokesman said.
Olympic Airlines in Athens said the Airbus plane had been diverted and assistance requested after an anonymous caller warned there was a bomb on board.
According to a spokeswoman at Stansted airport, flight 411 from Athens to New York's John F. Kennedy Airport was diverted into Stansted "on a full emergency".
"This afternoon it landed safely just after 3.30 pm (1430 GMT). There were 301 passengers on board, all of whom have been evacuated safely."
The British Department for Transport said the aircraft was being searched as part of "a standard response".
"It is not believed to be anything out of the ordinary at this stage," a spokesman said.
"These are rehearsed procedures which have swung into action. Fortunately nothing has exploded, if indeed there was a bomb on board, but we take all threats seriously."