JEDDAH — For the second time in less than a week, a Saudi Airlines flight from Jeddah to Indonesia has been diverted following a bomb threat, Indonesian authorities confirmed Saturday. Flight SV5688, which departed King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and was scheduled to transit through Muscat before landing in Surabaya, Indonesia, was rerouted to Kualanamu International Airport in Medan after air traffic controllers in Jakarta received a call about a possible explosive device onboard. The plane was carrying 387 passengers. Upon arrival in Medan, officials from the Regional Airports Authority began inspecting the aircraft while operations at the airport on Sumatra Island continued normally, said authority chairman Asri Santosa. The diversion comes just days after another Saudi Airlines flight — SV5276 — also en route from Jeddah to Jakarta, was redirected to the same airport in Medan following an emailed bomb threat to Indonesian authorities. That flight was carrying 442 passengers and was grounded safely while a bomb disposal team conducted a search. Saudi Airlines confirmed the prior incident, stating that the airline acted in accordance with international aviation safety protocols upon receiving the alert. The Indonesian Directorate General of Civil Aviation said both diversions were precautionary, and no explosives were found in either case. Authorities are continuing to investigate the source of the threats.
