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Crime

04th Jul 2022

Moment fighter jet appears at the wing of easyJet flight after teen passenger ‘made bomb threat’

Kieran Galpin

Via Twitter

The prankster could now face a hefty bill

After a teenager allegedly made a bomb threat aboard an easyJet flight, passengers were shocked upon seeing a fighter jet flying alongside them.

A flight from Gatwick to Menorca, Spain, ran into some trouble after an F18 warplane flew alongside the commercial flight for “precautionary security checks.” According to Metro, flight EZY8303 was close to landing at the time and would later be stuck on the runway for a further four hours.

It then emerged that an 18-year-old man had called in a bomb threat while travelling to Spain with his mates. The unnamed man was arrested, with sniffer dogs and specialist officers assessing the area for potential threats. They found nothing.

The prankster could now face a hefty bill, having caused mass panic and thousands of expenditures.

A spokesman for the Civil Guard said on Monday: “The Civil Guard has arrested an 18-year-old British national as the alleged author of a crime of public disorder in Mahon in Menorca.

“Yesterday (SUN) the control tower at Menorca Airport was alerted to a bomb threat on a plane heading from London to the island capital Mahon which was still in the air and nearing the airport. The threat was said to have been sent on a social media platform.

“Once the plane landed it was taken to an area away from the main terminal and other aircraft.

“The Civil Guard organised a special operation which consisted of mobilising bomb disposal experts as well as sniffer dogs and other officers who created a safe perimeter around the plane.

Via Twitter

“The passengers were disembarked and established protocol followed until police were able to confirm it was a false bomb threat and the person responsible was identified on social media along with five other companions as witnesses.

“They were taken to a police station so officers could clarify the situation.”

An easyJet representative added: “easyJet can confirm flight EZY8303 from London Gatwick to Menorca was escorted by military aircraft while landing in Menorca and delayed disembarking due to precautionary security checks. The passengers have since disembarked.

“The safety and security of its passengers and crew is always easyJet’s highest priority and we would like to thank passengers for their understanding.”

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