An easyJet flight from London to Menorca was intercepted by a Spanish Air Force fighter after a bomb threat was detected.
The Airbus A319 registered G-EZAO was carrying out easyJet flight EZY8303 from London Gatwick Airport (LGW) in the United Kingdom to Mahon Menorca Airport (MAH) in Spain on July 3, 2022.
An emergency protocol was triggered when law enforcement detected a bomb threat on social media, according to local media publication Menorca Info. As a result, a Spanish Air Force F/A-18 Hornet fighter scrambled to intercept the flight as it entered the country’s airspace.
Un falso aviso de bomba en un vuelo Londres-Menorca de Easyjet ha provocado el aterrizaje del avión escoltado por un F18. La Guardia Civil ha confirmado que se trata de una falsa alarma. pic.twitter.com/nBaDQZTyCn
— SERmallorca (@SERmallorca) July 3, 2022
Upon landing at Menorca Airport, officers of the Spanish Guardia Civil, including a canine bomb-sniffing unit, inspected the aircraft as well as the onboard luggage and freight before questioning each passenger. Eventually, the threat was deemed a false alarm.
The incident caused some disruption to the airport’s operations, delaying the affected aircraft’s next flight, as well as another departing Ryanair flight, by a few hours.
