A Saudia Airlines flight carrying hundreds of Indonesian hajj pilgrims back from the Middle East was diverted on Saturday following a bomb threat, marking the second such incident in days, authorities confirmed.
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The aircraft, SV5688, had traveled from Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to Muscat, Oman, before continuing toward Indonesia, where it was scheduled to land in Surabaya on Java island. However, Indonesian air traffic controllers in Jakarta received a bomb threat, prompting the diversion to Kualanamu International Airport in Medan.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation stated that all 376 passengers—Java-based pilgrims—and 13 crew members were safely evacuated upon arrival. A bomb squad was deployed to inspect the plane, though airport operations continued as normal.
Asri Santosa, head of the regional airport authority, confirmed that passengers would resume their journey on Sunday.
This follows a similar incident on Tuesday, when another flight with 442 returning hajj pilgrims was diverted to Medan after an email bomb threat was sent to authorities.
