Bomb threat on Beijing-bound EgyptAir flight proved to be hoax

CAIRO - An EgyptAir flight to China was forced to make an emergency landing in Uzbekistan on Wednesday after the airline received a call claiming that there was a bomb on board, two Egyptian aviation officials said.

They said the plane, which was carrying 118 passengers, had been evacuated and searched. No explosives were found, they said.

"The plane is preparing to resume its journey. It was a hoax, thank God," said one of the officials.

EgyptAir has received a number of bomb threats since one of its aircraft crashed into the Mediterranean on May 19. All have turned out to be hoaxes.