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At least 18 British tourists were taken off a flight from Tel Aviv to London on Sunday after one of them apparently threatened to blow up the plane. The passenger who allegedly made the threat denies making the remark, calling the incident a “misunderstanding.”
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The captain of the British Airways flight BA164, which was supposed to depart from Ben-Gurion Airport to Heathrow Airport, apparently asked to remove the group from the aircraft after one of them apparently told a flight attendant that he “has a bomb.”
A security team was dispatched in order to inspect the plane and the passengers and after a two-hour delay the plane took off without the 18 Britons on board.
"None of us told any of the crewmembers we have a bomb, and the police have decided to free us without taking any measures. The only thing we care about now is going home,” said one of the 18 passengers, adding that the incident was an unfortunate misunderstanding.
“The safety and security of our customers as well as our flight crew are always at the top of our priorities, and we respond to such incidents very seriously,” said the British Airways in an official statement.
“A group of 18 young Britons were removed from a British Airways flight after the captain refused to fly them … A security team was dispatched to the plane, which checked the passengers and the plane,” the Israel Airports Authority said in a statement.