by Donald Wood
Last updated: 11:15 AM ET, Fri June 3, 2016
Photo via Flickr
On Wednesday, EgyptAir was forced to cancel a flight scheduled to fly to Thailand after the airline received an anonymous bomb threat claiming an explosive device had been placed on the plane.
According to EgyptianStreets.com, authorities searched the EgyptAir plane after receiving the threat with bomb experts and sniffer dogs. Investigators also questioned all of the 226 passengers onboard, but they determined that there was no evidence of explosive devices on the aircraft.
Despite EgyptAir Flight 960 being cleared by investigators and the threat being deemed a hoax, the scheduled trip from Cairo International Airport to Bangkok was officially canceled following a three-hour delay.
Wednesday's bomb scare is the latest in a series of security-related incidents for EgyptAir. In May, EgyptAir Flight MS804 disappeared over the Mediterranean Sea, and investigators are still trying to find out why the plane crashed. In addition, EgyptAir Flight MS181 was hijacked in March by a man looking to reconnect with his ex-wife.
The fear from many experts is that the continued threats on the country's flag-carrying airline will hurt Egypt's tourism sector, as it is a major part of the nation's economy. Egyptian tourism minister Yehia Rashed revealed in April that tourism has dropped 40 percent as compared to the same time last year.
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