@easyJet #a319 G-EZAO intercepted by Spanish Air Force on way to Menorca. passengers not being allowed to leave yet. @BigJetTVLIVE @BBCNews @SkyNews @SkyNewsBreak pic.twitter.com/MTWkQnU39x
— Ian Leslie ❤️🇺🇦❤️ (@iandrleslie) July 3, 2022
According to reports, the 18-year-old male was travelling with friends and put the threat on social media as a prank, however, it is a prank that could and should cost the full cost of the essential safety operation it caused. The drama unfolded during the flight of EZY8303 when it had started its approach decent yesterday evening.
Specialists officers and sniffer dogs conducted a search of the aircraft and the teenager was arrested after the aircraft landed on the holiday island.
A spokesperson for Spain's Civil Guard said: "'Yesterday 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 has arrested an 18-year-old British national as the alleged author of a crime of public disorder in Mahon in Menorca."
An easyJet spokesperson told the media yesterday that said all passengers had since disembarked the aircraft, advising the airline believed "The safety and security of passengers and crew is always easyJet's highest priority and we would like to thank passengers for their understanding."
This young chap caused major anguish and started a chain of events that could have led to very serious consequences for that passenger jet, the least being a late arrival, the worst being - well, the fighters are armed for a reason and the Spanish Air Force has procedures for dealing with any stray and uncommunicative civil aircraft. As bomb threats regarding civilian aircraft and airports have taken a higher level of seriousness since the various hijackings surrounding 9/11 terrorist attacks, it is understandable that a full security and safety response was launched. Therefore, as an adult, it should have to pay for the entire operation, including the launching of two fighter jets, a civil guard helicopter, and the extra fuel and time the easyJet flight lost because of his silly prank.
