Passenger jet is surrounded by cops at Barcelona airport amid ‘on board threat’ alert after it was ‘escorted by warplanes’ over the Med
- This story is developing, more to follow
Spanish police surrounded a passenger plane that landed at Barcelona airport today due to a ‘established threat’.
According to El Nacional, the Turkish Airlines plane, which took off from Istanbul Airport this morning and landed at El Prat Airport just before 11:00, was accompanied by Spanish and French warplanes over the Mediterranean.
The threat was detected because the plane was close to the Italian coast at around 10:00.
The plane circled several times before landing. Police surrounded the plane and quickly boarded it.
After landing on Runway 2, the plane was reportedly moved to a secure area in a remote parking lot.
According to local media reports, there were 148 passengers and seven crew members on board the Airbus A-321 at the time of landing, all of which are being examined by investigators.
The Catalan government said today that it has ‘activated the Aerocat plan’ [special plan for aeronautical emergencies] To monitor the risk situation on a flight landing in El Prat.
Footage of the plane shared on social media showed dozens of police officers and airport security personnel, as well as at least one ambulance, on the tarmac outside the plane.
The passenger who shared the video described the ‘scary atmosphere’ on the plane during landing
Footage of the plane shared on social media shows dozens of police officers and airport security personnel, as well as at least one ambulance, on the tarmac outside the plane.
Many police officers, apparently armed, were seen standing on the asphalt parallel to the plane.
Many police officers, apparently armed, were seen standing on the asphalt parallel to the plane.
At least one detection dog was seen searching the luggage of passengers on the plane.
The passenger who shared the video said that there was a ‘scary atmosphere’ on the plane during landing.
He said the jet was ‘surrounded by armed men’, adding: ‘The captain announced that everyone should disembark one by one according to their seat numbers’.
Operations at El Prat appear to be largely unaffected by the incident, but departures and arrivals over the next few hours have been delayed.
More to follow.
