NATO fighter jets were deployed to intercept a commercial flight following the activation of a ‘bomb threat’ WiFi hotspot by a passenger. The incident involved Turkish Airlines flight TK1853 departing from Istanbul. Fighter jets from France were swiftly mobilized, and the Spanish jets took over as the aircraft entered Spanish airspace.
According to reports from Catalan news sources, the plane was escorted by military aircraft due to the detection of a threat over the Mediterranean Sea, within Italian territory. The crew declared a general emergency using a skwark 7700 code, prompting the flight to divert to Barcelona-El Prat Airport for safety measures.
The triggering event was linked to a specific WiFi hotspot network name containing a threatening message claiming the presence of a bomb and endangering all on board, as confirmed by Turkish Airlines Communication Director Yahya Üstün and Catalan authorities. The flight carried 148 individuals, including passengers and crew members.
Emergency protocols were immediately enacted in compliance with flight safety regulations, as stated by Mr. Üstün. After a safe disembarkation, all passengers were relocated to a designated area within the airport for further assessment. Sniffer dogs were deployed for a thorough search, which yielded no explosives, as confirmed by Spain’s Civil Guard police force.
The incident caused a delay of approximately 30 minutes for the affected flight bound for Barcelona. Following the resolution of the issue, flight operations resumed as normal. This incident occurred shortly after another situation where an Air India flight to Birmingham had to divert due to adverse weather conditions caused by Storm Goretti, leading to a mid-air emergency declaration.