A Turkish Airlines aircraft covering the Istanbul-Barcelona route had to make an emergency landing at El Prat airport on January 15. The cause was a passenger creating an internet hotspot inside the aircraft and configuring the network name to include an explosive threat. Air safety procedures were immediately initiated around 10:00 AM.
Due to the alert, Protecció Civil activated the Aerocat plan. Sources from the Ministry of Defense confirmed that a French fighter jet was authorized to enter Spanish airspace to support the landing. The aircraft, flight TK1853, finally landed around 11:00 AM in a secure area, away from the terminals.
Guardia Civil and Mossos d’Esquadra officers were deployed to the scene, along with the National Police and Local Police, to assess the situation.
Following the evacuation of the passengers and the relevant checks by the Guardia Civil, the threat was ruled out and the alert was deactivated as a false alarm. The airport continued operating normally. Turkish Airlines has initiated the necessary steps to identify the responsible passenger and carry out the corresponding legal process, as the investigation remains open.
