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Ryanair flight escorted by fighter jets after bomb scare

January 22, 2023

A Ryanair plane traveling from Poland to Athens landed safely in the Greek capital after the pilot reported a bomb threat during the flight.

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A Ryanair plane at Athens' International Eleftherios Venizelos airport, following a bomb threat in midair
Authorities directed the Ryanair plane to a remote spot at Athens International AirportImage: ALKIS KONSTANTINIDIS/REUTERS

Fighter jets were scrambled on Sunday to escort a Ryanair flight from Poland to Greece after a bomb threat was reported.

As the plane approached Athens, it was diverted over the sea as a precaution, but then allowed to land at the city's international airport.

When it landed in Athens, authorities directed the plane to an isolated airport area. 

Special police units checked the plane and the luggage but "did not find anything suspicious," an official said. 

"The pilot informed the Athens control tower but we don't know where the information originally came from," Greek police spokeswoman Constantia Dimoglidou said.

Two Greek F-16 jets were scrambled to escort the flight as it entered Greek airspace from North Macedonia, a defense ministry source told the AFP news agency. 

Hungarian warplanes had earlier escorted the plane, the source added.

Passengers of a Ryanair plane board a bus on the runway, after their flight landed at Athens' International
Police searched passengers as they were disembarking and their luggage was lined up outside the aircraftImage: ALKIS KONSTANTINIDIS/REUTERS

Passengers and crew safe 

"All people are well and safe," Elena Dimopoulou, the airport spokesperson, said.

The pilot of the Boeing 737 aircraft, which had 190 passengers and crew on board, had earlier alerted authorities over a possible explosive device on board.

"Crew onboard flight FR6385 travelling from Katowice to Athens were notified of a potential security threat onboard and in line with safety procedures, continued to Athens where it landed safely before being met by the Greek authorities," Ryanair said in a statement.

lo/sms (AFP, dpa, Reuters)