Bomb scare causes diversion on EasyJet flight to Bristol

Nothing dangerous was found after a search by Czech police

EasyJet say safety is their "highest priority" after the incident on Sunday night
Author: James DiamondPublished 5th Dec 2022
Last updated 5th Dec 2022

EasyJet says a flight due into Bristol from Krakow on Sunday night (December 4) was diverted to Prague "purely as a precautionary security measure" after reports of a bomb on board.

Prague Airport tweeted shortly before 11:30pm on Sunday saying the flight had safely landed in the Czech capital after reports of "a possible bomb on board an aircraft".

A little over an hour later however, the airport confirmed nothing dangerous had been found.

“EasyJet can confirm that flight EZY6267 from Krakow to Bristol yesterday evening diverted to Prague purely as a precautionary security measure," a spokesperson for the airline told us.

"The flight has been delayed overnight in Prague where customers have been provided with hotel accommodation and meals and will depart later today."

They added that the airline takes any security threats "seriously" and that they work closely with the police and security agencies on such matters.

"The safety and security of passengers and crew is easyJet’s highest priority and we would like to thank passengers for their understanding," they said.

Czech Police confirmed their explosives experts were inspecting the aircraft at 11:17pm last night, eventually confirming themselves that nothing dangerous was found, at 3:38am.

Jasmine-Rose has told us of her fear, as her parents were on board.

"I'd asked them earlier in the day when they were going to be home, which they told me was about midnight...It got to about half past 11 and I thought they must be on their way back so I messaged my mum saying 'are you on your way?'

"And she said, 'no, we're actually in Prague and we have been for a while now.

"'We've got no idea why we're here, we just know we were diverted here.

"'We think that the entire airport has been evacuated for some reason.'"

By that point Prague Airport had tweeted to say an aircraft had been diverted to them because of a bomb threat, which Jasmine-Rose spotted when she did some searching online.

The passengers themselves including her parents had not been told anything, Jasmine-Rose says she imagines, to avoid "mass panic".

Having spoken to her mum this morning, Jasmine-Rose talked us through how things developed.

"The cabin crew initially during the flight were just pacing back and forth apparently," she said.

"At one point they went to the back of the plane, and my parents were sat right at the back, and they went to the back behind a curtain, and they came out and they all seemed very distressed, so obviously that started causing a bit of worry already.

"Soon after that they were told over the tannoy that they were being diverted to Prague and they would be informed of any developments, but still the distress among the cabin crew was getting higher I think and they didn't see the cabin crew for a while after that, I think they disappeared into the back."

Jasmine-Rose says it was over an hour after landing that passengers were told Czech police were deliberating on what to do, but still at that point, not why the police were involved.

Eventually the plane was taxied further away from the terminal, at which point the passengers were told to get off with their hand luggage.

Those on board have since been flown back to Bristol, landing earlier today (December 5).

Jasmine-Rose says the whole situation for her parents, and herself, was terrifying.

"There was a point (where) my mum was messaging me going, 'I love you, Jake and Leia so much.'

"Jake is my brother and Leia is her granddaughter so she was just messaging saying 'I love you so much,' which was really scary."

Were you on board flight EZY6267, or do you know someone that was?

Would you be happy to speak about the experience for our radio news bulletins?

If so, please do get in touch on email via swnews@bauermedia.co.uk, or over the phone via 0117 934 1755.

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