NATO fighter jets were dispatched to intercept a commercial flight following the activation of a ‘bomb threat’ WiFi hotspot by a passenger.
Reports from Spanish news outlet El Nacional disclosed that Turkish Airlines flight TK1853, originating from Istanbul, triggered an emergency alert shortly after departure yesterday. French fighter jets were swiftly mobilized through a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) protocol to intercept the aircraft, which was then handed over to Spanish jets upon entering Spanish airspace.
According to Catalan news sources, the plane was escorted by military aircraft after a threat was identified over the Mediterranean Sea within Italian territory at 10 am. The crew declared a general emergency using squawk code 7700, prompting the flight to divert to Barcelona-El Prat Airport. The plane was directed to an isolated section of the airport to mitigate risks to other flights.
The bomb threat was linked to a specific WiFi hotspot network name containing the alarming message “I have a bomb, everyone will die,” as confirmed by Turkish Airlines Communication Director Yahya Üstün and Catalan authorities. The aircraft, carrying 148 individuals, including passengers and crew, was subjected to immediate safety protocols.
All passengers were safely disembarked and relocated to the airside contingency room at the airport. Subsequently, sniffer dogs were deployed to conduct a thorough search of the aircraft, which yielded no explosives, as confirmed by Spain’s Civil Guard police force.
The incident caused a delay of approximately 30 minutes, with the flight’s destination being Barcelona. Operations at the airport resumed to normal shortly after the incident was resolved.
This event follows a recent occurrence where an Air India flight to Birmingham diverted due to a mid-air emergency caused by adverse weather conditions from Storm Goretti. Flight AI117 transmitted squawk code 7700 on January 9 while en route from Amritsar, India, to Birmingham, UK, amid heavy snowfall and poor visibility.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner diverted near Leamington Spa before redirecting towards London due to a “Minimum Fuel” situation, depleting reserves beyond a safe limit for continued operation. Birmingham Airport temporarily suspended all runway operations on the evening of January 9 due to severe snowfall conditions.