An Air China plane to Paris CDG escorted over Germany, Belgium and France after bomb threat

Air China flight CA617 from Chengdu (CTU) to Paris CDG, operated by Airbus A330-300 registered B-8383 has been subject to a bomb threat over Germany. Two Luftwaffe Eurofighter jets were immediately dispatched and escorted the plane to the Belgian border, where Belgian Control took over until two French Air Force fighter jets escorted the Airbus further before landing at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.

Air China flight CA617 took off almost three hours late from Chengdu, Sichuan, China, on 15 December at 23:18 (UTC+8). The Airbus A330-300 was approaching Germany when a western aviation website received a message saying bombs had been placed onboard Air China 617.

The owners of the website immediately contacted the French Gendarmerie at Paris CDG and the message was quickly disseminated to all the relevant authorities. The German Luftwaffe dispatched two Eurofighters on QRA (quick reaction alert) from the Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 73 (Tactical Air Force Wing 73) in Rostock-Laage airbase, which intercepted the Chinese Airbus and escorted it to the Belgian border, where the Belgian Control and Reporting Center took control until the French Air Force dispatched two fighter jets on QRA. Eventually, the Chinese Airbus A330 landed safely at Paris CDG at 11:42 (UTC+1), with the same delay of close to 3 hours.

No further details are available. Five hours after landing (and five hours late), at 16:49, the Air China Airbus registered B-8383 departed from Paris CDG to Chengdu as flight CA618.

The Gerrman Eurofighters landed at Cologne for refuelling after their mission, before returning to their base in Laage.