A flight operated by Air Açores (SATA), en route from Ponta Delgada in the Azores to Bilbao, Spain, was forced to make an emergency landing at Lisbon Airport on Saturday following a false bomb threat. The Airbus A320-251N, carrying registration CS-TSM, landed safely at the Figo Maduro military airfield at 13:15, shortly after the alert was issued at 12:50.
As a precaution, multiple fire brigades were dispatched to the scene. All passengers and crew disembarked safely, and the aircraft was thoroughly inspected. Authorities later confirmed the bomb threat was unfounded.
Two passengers were detained for questioning, suspected of being behind the false alert. The incident was initially classified as a red alert but was later downgraded to orange.
SATA stated that regular operations remain unaffected, except for the disrupted Bilbao flight. The airline is providing assistance to the affected passengers and awaiting the conclusion of the investigation before resuming the aircraft’s operation.