A bomb threat forced the evacuation of a Rome-bound flight at Larnaca Airport on Friday. Around 190 passengers and their luggage were taken off the aircraft, before security checks cleared it to depart.
A fax, written in English, warned that a bomb hidden in luggage on the aircraft would explode within 20 minutes. Airport security protocols were activated immediately.
Police and fire brigade officers rushed to the scene, backed by specially trained sniffer dogs. The aircraft, which had been due to depart for Rome at 11:10, was not parked at a boarding bridge. A neighbouring aircraft was moved as a precaution, and a bomb disposal expert was sent to the scene.
Police said in their first statement that they had activated standard protocols and that all relevant services were taking the necessary action, as part of an investigation into the information received at the airport. The threat, police explained, had made it necessary to ground the specific aircraft while it was investigated.
Passengers were rescreened and passed through the airport’s X-ray screening system again as part of the security procedures. Once those procedures were complete, the alert at the airport was lifted, and passengers began boarding the aircraft again so it could depart for Rome.
Wizz Air said it was following all established security and protection protocols and was fully cooperating with the relevant local authorities, adding that the safety and security of its passengers, crew and aircraft remained its priority.
Transport Minister Evi Tsolaki, speaking to ANT1 as the incident was still being investigated, said the aircraft would not take off until it had been thoroughly checked. “People shouldn’t worry. The crisis plan is in force. There are protocols and procedures in place, and the threat is being assessed,” she said, adding that the plane would take off once it was established there was no danger.
