NEED TO KNOW
A Turkish Airlines flight made an emergency landing in Barcelona, Spain, after a reported "bomb threat" appeared in a passenger's hotspot network name
The incident occurred during a flight from Istanbul to Barcelona on Thursday, Jan. 15
After a thorough search of the aircraft, authorities determined there were no explosive and subsequently cleared the alert
A Turkish Airlines plane was forced to make an emergency landing on Thursday after a passenger allegedly included “bomb threat” in their WiFi network name.
Turkish Airlines flight 1853 from Istanbul to Barcelona, Spain, departed shortly before 9 a.m. local time on Thursday, Jan. 15, according to FlightAware. As the Airbus A321 neared Barcelona’s El Prat Airport, the aircraft looped around twice off the eastern coast of Spain.
Adria Puig/Anadolu via Getty
A Turkish Airlines flight make an emergency landing in Barcelona, Spain.As the plane approached its final destination, “it was detected that a passenger had set up an in-flight internet access point and configured its network name to include a bomb threat,” according to an X post from Turkish Airlines’ senior vice president of communications, Yahya Üstün.
The executive said flight crews subsequently initiated the “necessary procedures” in accordance with “flight safety protocols.”
After landing, Üstün said the proper authorities conducted a search of the aircraft “within the framework of international aviation security rules.”
David Zorrakino/Europa Press via Getty
Passengers board the Turkish Airlines plane after the "bomb threat" was cleared.In a follow-up post, Üstün shared that “no irregularities were found” during the search.
“Efforts have been initiated to identify the passenger in question and to carry out the legal process,” he wrote. “Our aircraft’s return flight will be carried out after the completion of passenger boarding.”
In a statement shared with the Associated Press and Reuters, the Spanish Civil Guard confirmed nothing was found during a thorough inspection of the aircraft. The alert was subsequently deactivated.
Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
The department added that police have launched an investigation to determine who was behind the hoax.
Neither representatives for El Prat Airport nor the Spanish Civil Guard in Barcelona immediately responded to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Read the original article on People
latest_posts
- 1
One spent $20 on candy. Another paid $700 for a custom costume. Here's how Halloween costs stacked up this year. - 2Map shows more than 1,900 measles cases across U.S.
- 3European Travel Objections for 2024
- 4A throat bone settles it - Nanotyrannus was not a juvenile T. rex
- 5We may be witnessing the messy death of a star in real time
- 2024 Moving Styles for Kitchen Redesigns
- How Mars 'punches above its weight' to influence Earth's climate
- Archaeologists uncover details about the Hjortspring boat's origins
- Decrease in Home Buy Credits and Home loan Renegotiating Rates: An Outline of Latest things
- What is the Insurrection Act? Can Trump really use the military to 'put an end' to Minneapolis ICE protests?
- When faith comes under fire: How Iran’s repression of religious minorities has increased
- Astonishing interstellar comet captured in new images by NASA Mars missions
- I served on the expert committee that advised the government on new dietary guidelines – most of our recommendations were ignored
- RFK Jr.'s vaccine panel delays hepatitis B shot vote after chaotic meeting
