NATO fighter jets were dispatched to intercept a commercial flight following the activation of a ‘bomb threat’ WiFi hotspot by a passenger.
According to reports from Spanish news outlet El Nacional, Turkish Airlines flight TK1853, departing from Istanbul, triggered an emergency alert yesterday morning. French fighter jets were deployed as part of a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA), and Spanish jets took over as the flight entered their airspace.
Catalan news sources revealed that military aircraft escorted the plane after a perceived threat was detected over the Mediterranean Sea in Italian airspace at 10 am. The crew declared a general emergency using squawk code 7700, prompting the plane’s diversion to Barcelona-El Prat Airport. The aircraft was directed to an isolated area at the airport to mitigate potential risks to other flights.
The security alert was prompted by the identification of a WiFi hotspot network named “I have a bomb, everyone will die,” confirmed by Turkish Airlines Communication Director Yahya Üstün and Catalan authorities. The flight, carrying 148 passengers and crew members, responded by initiating safety protocols promptly.
Following a safe disembarkation, all passengers were relocated to the airside contingency area at the airport. Subsequently, sniffer dogs were deployed to conduct a thorough search of the aircraft, leading to the discovery of no explosives by Spain’s Civil Guard police force.
The incident caused a delay of approximately 30 minutes, disrupting the flight originally destined for Barcelona. However, operations resumed as normal after the situation was resolved.
This event occurred shortly after an Air India flight bound for Birmingham underwent a mid-air emergency due to adverse weather conditions caused by Storm Goretti. Flight AI117, departing from Amritsar, Punjab, transmitted a squawk code 7700 on January 9. Due to heavy snowfall and poor visibility, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was diverted near Leamington Spa towards London. The emergency, triggered by a “Minimum Fuel” situation, led to priority handling by Air Traffic Control.
Birmingham Airport temporarily suspended all runway operations on the evening of January 9 due to heavy snowfall.