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Turkish Airlines Flight Makes Emergency Landing in Barcelona After Wi‑Fi Bomb Threat

Authorities found no explosives during searches and are investigating to identify the passenger who created the hotspot.

Overview

  • The Airbus A321 operating flight TK1853 from Istanbul was intercepted by French and Spanish fighter jets and performed holds off the Catalan coast before landing around 11:00 local time.
  • Crew detected a passenger-created in-flight Wi‑Fi hotspot whose network name contained an explicit bomb threat, according to Turkish Airlines.
  • The aircraft was directed to a remote stand, 148 passengers and seven crew were evacuated, and bomb-disposal and canine teams inspected the plane and luggage.
  • The Spanish Civil Guard said no explosives or hazardous materials were found and the alert was lifted, while airport operator AENA reported normal operations.
  • Turkish Airlines said the return flight would proceed after checks as officials work to identify the passenger and pursue legal action.