TUI flights: Fighter jets scramble to escort flight to Canary Islands hotspot Lanzarote after 'bomb threat note' discovered
Fighter jets scrambled to a TUI flight heading to the Canary Islands after a ‘bomb threat note’ was discovered.
Passengers were removed from the TUI flight by bomb squad officials after a threatening note was discovered in the aircraft's bathroom. Spain's Civil Guard was activated after a crew member handed the letter to the pilot of the Cardiff-Canary Islands flight BY6422 as it flew over Portugal.
The plane was diverted to César Manrique-Lanzarote Airport, where it was met with bomb specialists from the GEDEX (Explosives Deactivation Group) and a host of other specialised units after an emergency was declared. Portuguese fighter jets were scrambled following the threat, with the plane escorted to the airport.
The Fiscal and Border Section of the Guardia Civil were also called to the scene alongside investigation units and citizen security patrols. The Canarian Weekly reported Air traffic controllers later confirmed in a post on social media that passengers were asked to identify their luggage.
A spokesperson for the Portuguese Air Force said in a statement that two F-16M jets on permanent alert were deployed from Air Base number 5 in Monte Real to intercept and escort the plane. Fighter pilots were required to closely monitor the situation as the TUI jet travelled through Portuguese airspace before seeing the aircraft to its landing point in Lanzarote.
The military said: “With the F-16Ms already monitoring the situation to ensure the safety and good management of national airspace, the crew of the civilian aircraft decided to continue the flight to the destination airport, outside national territory. Upon leaving the national flight information region, responsibility passed to Spain, with the Portuguese F-16Ms carrying out the handover of the mission and subsequent return to Monte Real.”
Despite the full-on response, officials eventually discovered there was no explosive device aboard, and local police have now launched an urgent investigation to determine who wrote the letter found in the bathroom. Departures at the Lanzarote airport were delayed as investigators worked at the scene.