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WestJet Flight Lands Safely In Victoria After Bomb Threat

5th threat in 5 days against the airline.

A WestJet flight from Las Vegas to Victoria, B.C. landed safely after receiving a bomb threat, the fifth aimed at the airline in the last week.

Flight 1709 arrived at the Victoria airport just before 6 p.m. PT Thursday about two hours after the threat was received, James Bogusz with the Victoria Airport Authority told CBC News.

WestJet tweeted that the threat was "deemed not credible" but the flight was screened out of "an abundance of caution."

A total of five threats have been made against Calgary-based WestJet, and one against Air Canada in the past week. All have been hoaxes.

"Safety remains our top priority. We will continue to be vigilant to keep our guests and our crews safe," WestJet tweeted. "This week’s false threats are all criminal investigations, and we will support investigators as they seek out those responsible."

However, the National Post reported that there was confusion over which law enforcement agency would take the lead in tracking down the person or people behind the false alarms.

There's no indication if investigators suspect the same source is behind all the threats, and WestJet cautioned against rumours and speculation.

Delaying or diverting flights, and using up police resources to search planes for dangerous materials is costly, former FBI investigator Brad Garrett told CTV News.

He said such threats tend to come from unhappy former workers or clients with a grudge.

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