STOCKHOLM: A Norwegian Air Shuttle plane en route to the French city of Nice returned to Stockholm safely after receiving a bomb threat shortly after take-off yesterday, the airline said. "Norwegian can confirm that a bomb threat was issued against flight DY4321 from Arlanda to Nice," it said in a statement, providing no other details.

Stockholm police spokeswoman Towe Hagg told AFP that local and border police as well as tactical units were "working actively at Arlanda to gather information, follow up and take necessary measures." A traveler at Arlanda airport, Pertti Arnberg, told daily Expressen the plane was parked at the far end of the runway, surrounded by a swarm of emergency vehicles with blue lights flashing. The plane had taken off at 10:09 am (0909 GMT) and landed back at the airport around 11:15 am.

Sweden's Joint Rescue Coordination Centre for sea and air rescues, which was informed of the bomb threat about 30 minutes into the flight, said in a statement 169 passengers were on board the plane. A passenger who declined to be named told Expressen they were waiting for mobile staircases to be able to disembark, more than hour after landing. It was not immediately known how the bomb threat was communicated.--AFP