
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
Exhaustive Experiences into Prudent Senior Living in the UK - 2
'We need everyone,' wounded reservist urges Knesset panel to advance haredi draft law - 3
Nuno Loureiro, MIT physicist, fatally shot at home; police investigate - 4
Analysis-From 'Icarus bug' to flawed panels: Airbus counts cost of relying on single model - 5
Artemis II crew cleared to depart Earth orbit, head for moon
The 15 Most Compelling Books in History
EU delays signing of Mercosur free trade deal
Exploring School Life: Self-awareness and Illustrations
Iran-backed Iraqi militias attack Kurdistan over 450 times since beginning of war
Ice Spice's 'Big Guy' SpongeBob song is stuck in everyone's heads again — and TikTok is fueling it
The most effective method to Recuperate After a Dental Embed Strategy: A Far reaching Guide
Ariana Grande and Jonathan Bailey will reunite for 'Sunday in the Park With George'
Von der Leyen: Paris meeting sends signal of unity for Ukraine
As nations push for more ambition at climate talks, chairman says they may get it












