NATO jets scrambled as 'threat detected' on commercial flight over Mediterranean

NATO jets scrambled as 'threat detected' on commercial flight over Mediterranean The passenger plane was escorted by military aircraft to El Prat reportedly after "a threat was detected" over the Mediterranean Sea. NATO fighter jets were scrambled to intercept a commercial flight after a passenger set up a WiFi hotspot with a name that prompted concerns, it has been reported. On Thursday morning, a Turkish Airlines plane that took off from Istanbul airport landed at El Prat Airport around 11 am amidst bomb threat. According to the sources, the aircraft, an A-321, circled several times before landing on runway 2 at El Prat Airport in Barcelona. There were 148 passengers and a crew of seven on board. Fighter jets from France were scrambled under a Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) and the flight was handed over to Spanish jets as it entered its airspace. The plane was escorted by military aircraft after “a threat was detected” over the Mediterranean Sea, in Italian territory at 10am, reported Catalan news outlet. Read more: Plane surrounded at European airport over 'terrorist threat' Read more: The 4 Turkish villages named among 'best in the world' for tourism A squawk 7700 signal, used by pilots to indicate a general emergency, was transmitted by the crew, prompting the aircraft to divert to Barcelona-El Prat Airport. Upon landing, the plane was directed to a remote, isolated area of the airfield as a precaution, ensuring any potential risk was kept well away from other aircraft and airport operations. Senior Vice President Communications Yahya Üstün said in a statement: "During the approach of our TK1853 Istanbul-Barcelona flight to Barcelona, it was detected that a passenger established an in-flight internet access point and set the network name to include a bomb threat. In line with flight safety procedures, the necessary protocols were immediately initiated. "Following the incident on our TK1853 Istanbul-Barcelona flight, the necessary security checks were conducted by the relevant authorities of the host country, and no adverse findings were found. Efforts have been initiated to identify the passenger in question and to proceed with the relevant legal process." All passengers were safely escorted to a contingency room within the airside area of the airport after leaving the aircraft. Meanwhile, sniffer dogs were deployed to thoroughly inspect the plane, and Spain’s Civil Guard later confirmed that no explosives were discovered. The incident caused only a brief delay of about 30 minutes. Since the flight had already been en route to Barcelona when the alert was raised, normal airport operations resumed shortly afterward.

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