LYON (France), Oct 12: A French pilot aborted his plane’s takeoff this week after authorities told him the words “Long live bin Laden” were scribbled in the baggage hold, Lyon airport officials said on Friday.

Authorities at Lyon-Saint-Exupery airport in eastern France got the tipoff from a ground-staff employee as the Air France plane was positioning for takeoff on Tuesday. The author of the graffiti, another ground worker, was found and fired, they said.

Transport disruption due to bomb scares and other alerts has risen in profile after the hijacked airliner attacks on New York and Washington, for which Saudi-born Osama bin Laden has been named as prime suspect. —Reuters