Turkish Airlines Bomb Scare Grounds Flight Bound For New York In Istanbul

A Turkish Airlines flight bound for New York was held and searched in Istanbul Saturday because of a bomb threat discovered before its departure. Airline employees found a note in one of the aircraft's lavatories stating there was a bomb aboard the plane, BGN News reported.

There were 283 passengers aboard the Boeing 777 at the time the note was discovered. The plane was taken to a secure parking area and passengers were evacuated before the vessel was thoroughly searched.

The threat is the latest in a series of scares in which the airline's flights to major cities around the world may have been targeted or faced threats. In 2015, the Turkish Airlines has seen a string of similar incidents.

In late March, a Turkish Airlines flight headed to Tokyo was sent back to Istanbul due to a bomb threat. On March 30, a flight to Sao Paulo, Brazil, was rerouted to Morocco when the flight crew found a note on board that warned of a bomb. In early April, a flight to Lisbon turned back to Istanbul when a flight attendant found a suspicious object that looked like a microphone and was the size of a ping pong ball. On April 17, a flight en route to Basel Switzerland was sent back to Ataturk airport in Istanbul after another note was uncovered.

Other airlines that operate out of Istanbul have also received threats in recent months including Lufthansa and Pegasus Airlines. In all cases, the planes were thoroughly searched and cleared, and no bombs have been discovered. It is unclear whether the incidents are related.

No injuries were reported from the airline or the airport and there has not yet been word on what was found during a sweep of the plane by local authorities.