A major security scare unfolded mid-air after a child on a Wizz Air flight, from London Luton to Tel Aviv, allegedly changed an onboard Wi-Fi hotspot name to “terrorist”.
This prompted fighter jets to be scrambled and the aircraft to be escorted into Israel.
Source: Wolfgang Weiser on Unsplash, for illustration purposes only.
The incident involved Wizz Air flight W95301 on Sunday (8 Feb) when the flight was en route to Ben Gurion Airport.
Cabin crew alerted Israeli security authorities to a potential threat after passengers reported seeing alarming Wi-Fi messages.
The scare began when a passenger attempted to connect to the onboard Wi-Fi and noticed a hotspot named “terrorist”.
Source: N12 News
The unusual name immediately raised alarm among passengers, who notified the crew.
However, it was reported that the hotspot belonged to a mobile phone.
Authorities believe the name was changed by a child, who had secretly renamed a parent’s device.
The couple admitted that their son had set up the phone for them before they boarded the flight, reports Israeli news outlet N12 News.
In response, Israeli fighter jets scrambled and monitored the aircraft as it continued its journey to Israel.
Data from FlightRadar showed the plane making three holding loops over the Mediterranean Sea, south of Cyprus, while security agencies assessed the situation.
Source: FlightAware
The plane was eventually escorted into Ben Gurion Airport, where police officers and bomb-sniffing dogs were deployed on the tarmac.
Subsequently, all passengers and their luggage were thoroughly screened while flights arriving at and departing from the airport were temporarily suspended.
After investigations, the Israel Airports Authority’s spokesperson confirmed that the alert was unfounded, Express says.
Source: N12 News
“Due to suspicion of suspicious behaviour on the plane, security forces acted according to procedures,” the official said.
As reported by UK publication Metro, flight W95301 from London Luton to Tel Aviv Ben Gurion has landed safely.
A Wizz Air spokesperson said: “The safety of our passengers and crew is our utmost priority; for further information, please reach out to the relevant Israeli authorities.”
Also read: Couple from China emails bomb threat to airline in M’sia after failing to change flight seats
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Featured image adapted from N12.