A FlySafair Boeing 737-800 operating from Johannesburg to East London landed safely at King Phalo Airport on Wednesday morning after a reported bomb threat prompted a security response involving police and emergency services.

Flight FA388, operated by aircraft ZS-SJM, landed at 08:49 on 21 October with 182 passengers and six crew members on board.

All passengers have safely disembarked, with the aircraft being held at the airport while authorities investigate the threat.

 Police Launch Security Response

According to SAPS in the Eastern Cape, an unknown caller using a private number allegedly reported that a bomb was on board the aircraft.

A multi-disciplinary response team was subsequently activated at King Phalo Airport, including the Bomb Disposal Unit, K9 explosive detection dogs, hostage negotiators, Disaster Management, airport security and Emergency Medical Services.

Investigations into the origin of the threat are ongoing. Police have urged the public to refrain from speculation while the relevant authorities carry out their work.

FlySafair Confirms No Flight Cancellations

In a statement released on Wednesday, FlySafair confirmed that it had been informed of the potential security threat and immediately notified the relevant authorities.

The airline said it was cooperating fully with the investigation, while the aircraft remained at the airport as part of standard security procedures.

Despite the incident, FlySafair confirmed that no flight cancellations had resulted from the threat and that its other operations were continuing as normal. The airline also thanked its crew, ground staff, SAPS, King Phalo Airport and the emergency and security teams for their response.

As the investigation remains active, FlySafair said it could not comment further. No additional details about the threat or the findings of the security inspection had been released at the time of publication.