NATO fighter jets were deployed 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, originating from Istanbul, triggered an emergency alert yesterday. French fighter jets were quickly mobilized as part of a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA), later handing over the escort duty to Spanish jets upon entering Spanish airspace.
The Catalan news outlet revealed that the aircraft received military escort after a threat was identified over the Mediterranean Sea in Italian airspace at 10 am. The crew declared a general emergency using the skwark 7700 code and diverted the flight to Barcelona-El Prat Airport, where it was secluded to mitigate risks to other flights.
The threat was linked to a specific WiFi hotspot network name containing the alarming message “I have a bomb, everyone will die,” confirmed by Turkish Airlines Communication Director Yahya Üstün and Catalan authorities. The flight carried a total of 148 individuals, including passengers and crew members.
Mr. Üstün stated that immediate safety protocols were activated in response to the situation. Upon safe disembarkation, all passengers were relocated to the airside contingency room at the airport. Subsequently, sniffer dogs were deployed to search the aircraft, resulting in the absence of any explosives as confirmed by Spain’s Civil Guard police force.
The incident caused a delay of approximately 30 minutes. The flight, initially bound for Barcelona, resumed operations as usual post-resolution.
This event occurred shortly after an Air India flight to Birmingham diverted due to adverse weather conditions caused by Storm Goretti. Flight AI117 transmitted a skwark 7700 code on January 9, departing from Amritsar, India, amidst heavy snowfall and low visibility conditions.
The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner was rerouted near Leamington Spa, changing course towards London due to a “Minimum Fuel” situation, depleting reserves to unsafe levels for extended flight, reported by AirLive. Birmingham Airport halted all runway operations on the same evening due to heavy snowfall.