Air India Express flight escorted by fighter jets after latest bomb threat

Singapore on Tuesday scrambled fighter jets to escort an Air India Express plane after an e-mail warning about a possible bomb on board, the city-state's defence minister said.

"Air India Express received an e-mail that there was a bomb on board flight AXB684 that was bound for Singapore," Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said in a Facebook post.

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He said two air force F-15 jets were deployed to escort the jet "away from populated areas" before it landed safely at Changi Airport in the late evening.

"Our Ground Based Air Defence systems and Explosive Ordnance Disposal team were also activated. Once on the ground, the plane was handed to the airport police," Ng added.

Investigations are underway, he said.

The police said "no threat items were found" on board the plane after completing security checks, adding that investigations were ongoing.

"The police take security threats seriously and will not hesitate to take action against those who intentionally cause public alarm," it said in an e-mailed statement.

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