Turkish Airlines Emergency Landing: Wi-Fi Name Sparks Bomb Scare, Disrupts Flight

On Thursday morning, a Turkish Airlines flight had to make an emergency landing in Barcelona due to a false bomb threat initiated by a passenger. The individual set up a Wi-Fi hotspot with a name implying there was a “bomb threat” onboard, as reported by airline officials.

Flight 1853, en route from Istanbul, triggered emergency protocols as it neared its destination at Barcelona-El Prat Airport. According to Euronews, the Airbus A321, carrying 148 passengers and seven crew members, was guided to a designated area for inspection upon landing.

Yahya Üstün, senior vice president of communications at Turkish Airlines, mentioned on X that a passenger had set up an in-flight internet hotspot, naming the network in a manner that suggested a bomb threat.

As reported by Simpleflying, the flight was over the Mediterranean Sea when a crew member discovered the alarming Wi-Fi network name, which read, “I have a bomb, everyone will die.”

Following the emergency landing at Josep Tarradellas-El Prat Airport in Barcelona, crews proceeded to line up passengers’ luggage on the tarmac for inspection. (REUTERS/Albert Gea)

Necessary safety procedures were immediately initiated following the alert, Üstün said. 

The aircraft was then escorted by two fighter jets, one Spanish and one French, during the emergency protocol, Euronews reported.  

A sniffer dog inspects a line of luggage at an airport. (Reuters)

Following the aircraft’s safe landing, response crews inspected the plane and worked to identify the passenger who created the threatening Wi-Fi hotspot name, airline officials said. The operation involved Spanish authorities such as personnel from the Civil Guard, the National Police and Catalonia’s regional police and fire services, according to Euronews.

According to footage from the scene, a dog was deployed to examine the passenger’s luggage on the tarmac. 

However, “no irregularities were found” following a thorough inspection, according to officials.  

A Turkish Airlines plane is inspected by police after a false bomb threat following an emergency landing at Josep Tarradellas-El Prat Airport in Barcelona, Spain, on January 15, 2026. (REUTERS/Albert Gea)

“Our aircraft’s return flight will be carried out after the completion of passenger boarding,” Üstün said. 

Operations at Barcelona-El Prat Airport resumed normally following the explosive scare, Reuters reported.