The plane landed on the island in a limited area of the runway and the Civil Guard checked passengers and luggage
At 19:10 this Sunday, all operations have been restored at Menorca Airport, which had been partially affected when a false bomb alarm was received on easyJet flight EZY 8303 from London-Gatwick, operated by Airbus A319 registered G-EZAO.
It has been necessary to activate the emergency protocol when the alarm was detected, apparently, in a social network that corresponded to a group of young people travelling to the island for a celebration.
The plane landed at 16:44, barely half an hour late, in a delimited area of the Menorcan facility so that the Civil Guard, who awaited its arrival, could proceed to check all the passengers’ luggage, as well as the cabin and the hold of the aircraft.
@easyJet #a319 G-EZAO intercepted by Spanish Air Force on way to Menorca. passengers not being allowed to leave yet. @BigJetTVLIVE @BBCNews @SkyNews @SkyNewsBreak pic.twitter.com/MTWkQnU39x
— Ian Leslie ?????? (@iandrleslie) July 3, 2022
Un falso aviso de bomba en un vuelo Londres-Menorca de Easyjet ha provocado el aterrizaje del avión escoltado por un F18. La Guardia Civil ha confirmado que se trata de una falsa alarma. pic.twitter.com/nBaDQZTyCn
— SERmallorca (@SERmallorca) July 3, 2022
The passengers of the plane descended one by one from the plane after the agents, accompanied by the dogs of the explosives unit, had checked the suitcases and the freight that was deposited on the ground in the remote parking area.
The passengers had to identify themselves and show their own suitcases before the Civil Guard terminated the control by verifying that it had been a false alarm.
In compliance with the same security protocol, according to images broadcast by some media, the plane has been escorted by an F-18 Spanish Air Force fighter jet after entering national airspace.
The activation of the alarm has caused a stir in the Menorcan terminal, although the operations have not been altered too much, except for another Ryanair flight to London, which has left almost two hours late, and of course the same plane from easyJet.
Source: Menorca Info
The luggage was not deposited “on the runway” but beside the aircraft at the more isolated parking pan visible to us passengers waiting to depart on that aircraft.