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Passengers on a Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to Barcelona got the fright of their lives yesterday when a fellow traveller created a WiFi network named with a bomb threat. The Airbus A321 with 148 passengers and seven crew had just passed Sardinia when the alert popped up around 11am, triggering an immediate emergency response.

 

Pilots sent a special squawk code (or transponder code which is a four-digit number pilots enter into the aircraft's transponder to send an urgent signal to air traffic control, often indicating an emergency or situation needing immediate assistance, such as a security threat or medical issue) to air traffic control and circled three times over the Mediterranean before touching down safely at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport around 10am. French fighter jets intercepted the plane over international waters and handed it off to Spanish aircraft, which escorted it into Spanish airspace with permission from the Ministry of Defense.

 

Once on the ground, the plane was whisked to an isolated area away from other aircraft. Emergency teams swung into action fast. The Guardia Civil led the operation alongside the Policía Nacional, Mossos d'Esquadra and Generalitat firefighters. A canine unit with sniffer dogs checked every bag lined up on the tarmac, while armed police stood guard. One passenger shared on social media how the captain ordered them to "disembark one by one according to their seat numbers," describing the scene as "eerie" with "armed personnel" surrounding the plane.

 

Turkish Airlines spokesperson Yahya Ustun confirmed, "It was detected that a passenger established an in-flight internet access point and set the network name to include a bomb threat." No explosives were found after a thorough search, and by around 3pm the all-clear was given. Passengers and crew were safely evacuated with no injuries reported, and airport operations continued normally throughout.

 

The Guardia Civil has opened an investigation to track down the culprit among the 148 on board. It's a stark reminder of how one foolish act can spark a major security response, putting hundreds of lives on hold. Thankfully everyone walked away unharmed, but that passenger faces serious consequences.

 

 

Image: wikicommons