On 8/2, a Wizz Air flight from London Luton Airport (UK) to Ben Gurion Airport (Tel Aviv, Israel) received an urgent escort from Israeli Air Force fighter jets following reports of a security threat.
Earlier, the crew received information from a passenger about a threatening message appearing on a mobile device. This was accompanied by a personal wifi hotspot name displaying the word "terrorist" in both Arabic and Hebrew.
The Israeli Air Force deployed rapid-response fighter jets to intercept and escort the aircraft outside Israeli airspace before it was allowed to land safely at Ben Gurion Airport. A spokesperson for the Israel Airports Authority stated that security forces acted "according to protocol".
 |
A Wizz Air aircraft. Photo: Air Ticket. |
A Wizz Air aircraft. Photo: Air Ticket.
Desi Miller, a passenger on the flight, recounted that the aircraft circled numerous times in the air before the fighter jets began to approach.
"The first thing we saw upon landing was the security forces waiting, very tense", Miller said. After the plane landed, security forces and sniffer dogs inspected all passengers, luggage, and the aircraft cabin but found nothing.
Subsequently, they discovered it was a false alarm caused by a child's prank. The son of a Jewish couple had changed the name of the mobile hotspot on his parents' phone to "terrorist", which a traveler saw and became alarmed.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident. Flights to and from Ben Gurion Airport were also affected while authorities handled the situation.
Incidents of travelers joking about "bombs" or "terrorists" on planes are not uncommon. In January, Turkish Airlines flight TK1853 from Istanbul to Barcelona had to make an emergency landing after the crew discovered a personal wifi hotspot on board named "I have a bomb, everyone will die".
Fighter jets were dispatched, escorting 148 passengers to safety. Spanish authorities arrested the passenger using the sensitive wifi hotspot name for incurring substantial security costs and causing flight delays.
In 2022, Aditya Verma, then 18 years old, a British-Indian student, sent a message to friends before boarding an EasyJet flight from Gatwick Airport (London) to Menorca (Spain) stating, "On my way to blow up the plane, I am a member of the Taliban".
Gatwick Airport's security system detected the message and reported it to Spanish security authorities. After investigation, authorities accused Verma of disturbing public order, facing a fine of over 120,000 USD (including the cost of deploying fighter jets). However, the court declared it was merely a private joke and Verma was unaware of the consequences.
Hoai Anh (According to Metro, Fox, BBC)
