A Jet2 flight from East Midlands Airport to Antalya in Turkey was delayed by around three hours on Monday evening (August 22) after armed police were called to deal with an alleged “explosive device” threat (scroll down for video).
The alarming incident, which was captured on video by a passenger, ended with the arrest of a man on suspicion of possession of an explosive substance.
The incident apparently escalated after the man was asked to put his bag in the overhead locker, something that appeared to irritate him.
A tweet from fellow passenger @ikevvin stated that the man then declared his wife was “a terrorist and has a bomb,” leading to the security alert.
Passengers on flight LS653 were taxiing to the take-off point when the flight was paused.
Initially, the captain cited a possible luggage mix-up, likely choosing his words carefully to avoid alarming passengers.
However, as police, including armed officers, surrounded the plane, it became clear that the situation had escalated into a serious security issue.
One 35-year-old passenger, travelling with his wife and four-year-old daughter, spoke to Nottinghamshire Live about the anxiety-provoking situation.
“There was a period of two hours where all the police were surrounding the plane but not coming on, which was quite intimidating,” he said.
Furthermore, he described the entrance of police with guns and sniffer dogs as “alarming,” and the uncertainty of the situation was unsettling for all passengers on board.
According to a statement from Leicestershire Police, the response was prompt. “At 5.16 pm today (Monday), police were informed of a report of a male aboard an aircraft at East Midlands Airport who stated he was in possession of an explosive device,” the statement read.
For public and officer safety, armed officers were dispatched to the aircraft area.
The arrested man later left the aircraft safely and was released on bail after thorough checks of the aircraft confirmed no explosive device on board, and the threat was deemed “not viable.”
While the situation was not “ideal” for passengers, especially those travelling with children, Jet2 apologised for the inconvenience caused by the unforeseen incident.
The FlightRadar24 website confirms that the flight eventually took off at 8.18 pm, landing in Turkey just before 2 am, several hours later than scheduled.
This incident comes at a time when security measures at airports are under intense scrutiny, and it serves as a reminder of the delicate balance between safety and the smooth flow of travel.
The swift response by Leicestershire Police and the cooperation of the airport and airline staff ensured that the situation was resolved without further escalation.
WATCH the moment when @leicspolice @lpspecialops respond to an irresponsible passenger's 'bomb joke' on a @jet2tweets flight to #antalya at @ema_airport
— Emergency-Services.News (@ES_News_) August 23, 2023
Allegedly a male took exception to being asked by the cabin crew to place his bag in the overhead locker.
A stupid comment… pic.twitter.com/vK9R6TPhlo
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Anything less than a jail term would be an insult to the inconvenienced/frightened passengers.
How about charging him for the total cost of the delay, including passenger compensation. He would not do that again.