NATO fighter jets were deployed to intercept a commercial flight following the activation of a ‘bomb threat’ WiFi hotspot by a passenger. Reports from Spanish news outlet El Nacional indicated that Turkish Airlines flight TK1853, departing from Istanbul, triggered an emergency alert prompting French fighter jets to respond under a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) protocol. Subsequently, Spanish jets took over as the flight entered their airspace.
According to Catalan news outlet, the aircraft was escorted by military planes after a threat was detected over the Mediterranean Sea within Italian territory around 10 am. The crew declared a general emergency using the squawk 7700 code and diverted the flight to Barcelona-El Prat Airport, where it was directed to an isolated area to mitigate risks to other flights.
The alert stemmed from a WiFi hotspot network name containing a message that read “I have a bomb, everyone will die,” as confirmed by Turkish Airlines Communication Director Yahya Üstün and Catalan authorities. The flight carried 148 individuals, including passengers and crew members.
Following a safe disembarkation, all passengers were relocated to the airport’s contingency room in the airside section. Subsequently, sniffer dogs were deployed to conduct a search on the plane. Fortunately, no explosives were found during the inspection carried out by Spain’s Civil Guard police force.
The incident led to a delay of around 30 minutes, with the flight originally destined for Barcelona. Normal operations resumed after the situation was addressed. This event occurred shortly after an Air India flight to Birmingham was diverted due to a mid-air emergency caused by adverse weather conditions from Storm Goretti.
On January 9, flight AI117 from Amritsar in India’s Punjab state transmitted a squawk 7700 code due to heavy snowfall and freezing conditions from Storm Goretti, impacting visibility during landing. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner diverted near Leamington Spa before heading towards London. The emergency was prompted by a “Minimum Fuel” situation, as the aircraft’s reserves were insufficient for an additional orbit, reported by AirLive. Birmingham Airport suspended all runway operations that evening due to severe snowfall.