What happens when airlines receive bomb threats?
Hundreds of airline passengers in Europe had their flights diverted or given military escorts this week after a series of bomb threats that officials have said were malicious hoaxes.
When airline crews receive bomb threats, they follow a stringent process to ensure passenger safety. Joji Waites, director of flight safety for the British Airline Pilots Association, explains that assessors determine the credibility of the threat. If deemed credible, the captain makes all decisions guided by a safety checklist. If the aircraft is on the ground, evacuation is necessary, but if in flight, landing safely is the priority.
Airlines, airport operators, and law enforcement follow guidelines set by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the International Civil Aviation Organization. Flight crew receives training to handle various threats, including live situational exercises. When threats are reported, airline employees are instructed to keep the caller on the line and gather as much information as possible.
Many threats this week were sent by email, providing enough information for authorities to determine that an aircraft needed inspection. Diverting a flight due to a bomb threat or an unruly passenger can cost airlines up to $250,000. The intent behind these threats appears to be to sow chaos and uncertainty regarding European air traffic reliability.
Some experts suggest that the threats may also be testing the response time and coordination among authorities in different countries, aiming to identify weaknesses for potential future attacks.
Written by urgent.news from PBS NewsHour's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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- Here’s what happens when airlines receive bomb threats winnipegfreepress.com
