After scare, Virgin Atlantic flight leaves Dubai for London

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – A Virgin Atlantic flight from Dubai to London that was evacuated over unspecified concerns earlier Thursday in the United Arab Emirates was cleared after a security check and took off for Britain, officials said.

The Airbus 330 had just left its gate in Dubai when it suddenly turned back and evacuated its passengers after receiving an unspecified threat, authorities said.

Nothing wrong was found abroad the aircraft heading to London’s Heathrow Airport from Dubai International Airport and it later took off. Passengers underwent a second security screening before the flight left, Virgin said in a statement.

This was “purely as a precautionary measure as the safety of our customers and crew is our No. 1 priority,” Virgin said. Virgin only described the threat as “non-credible.”

Dubai International Airport said the flight underwent additional security checks in “close co-operation with Dubai police and the airline.” The airport, the world’s busiest for international travel, declined to offer specifics about the threat.

Dubai police did not answer calls for comment.

The Virgin flight, scheduled to leave around 11 a.m., took off at 2:38 p.m.

The incident came after an explosion struck a concert Monday night in Manchester, England, killing 22 people among a panicked crowd of young concertgoers.