- This story is developing, more to follow
Spanish police have surrounded a passenger plane that landed at a Barcelona airport today amid an ‘onboard threat’.
The plane, a Turkish Airlines jet that departed from Istanbul airport this morning and landed at El Prat Airport just before 11am, was escorted by Spanish and French warplanes over the Mediterranean Sea, according to El Nacional.
The threat was detected as the plane was near the coast of Italy, at around 10am.
The plane circled several times before landing. Police surrounded the plane and boarded it soon after.
Upon landing on Runway 2, the plane was reportedly moved to a safe area at a distant parking lot.
There were 148 passengers and seven crew members onboard the Airbus A-321 as it landed, all of whom are being reviewed by investigators, local media reported.
The government of Catalonia said today that it has ‘activated the Aerocat plan [special plan for aeronautical emergencies] to monitor the risk situation on a flight landed at El Prat’.
Footage from the plane shared to social media appeared to show dozens of police officers and airport security staff, as well as at least one ambulance, on the tarmac outside the plane.
The plane, a Turkish Airlines jet that departed from Istanbul airport this morning and landed at El Prat Airport just before 11am, was escorted by Spanish and French warplanes over the Mediterranean Sea (File image of a Turkish Airlines plane)
Several apparently armed police officers were seen standing on the tarmac parallel to the plane.
At least one sniffer dog was seen apparently investigating the luggage of passengers onboard the plane.
The passenger who shared the video described an ‘eerie atmosphere’ on the plane upon its arrival.
He said the jet was ‘surrounded by armed men’, adding: ‘The captain announced that everyone should disembark one by one according to their seat numbers’.
More to follow.