Passenger’s Bomb Threat Sparks Chaos on Packed Flight

Passengers aboard a Jet2 flight bound for London were forced to evacuate their plane in the Canary Islands after a fellow traveler allegedly claimed there was a bomb in their luggage, triggering a major security response and delaying the flight for more than two hours.

The incident happened Friday, Sept. 25, aboard Jet2 flight LS1536 at Tenerife South Airport in Spain’s Canary Islands.

The plane was scheduled to leave for London Stansted at 11:20 a.m. local time when a passenger allegedly made the bomb claim before departure. Spain’s Guardia Civil was alerted, and everyone on board was ordered off the aircraft as a precaution.

Officers then carried out security checks on both the plane and passengers’ luggage while travelers waited inside the terminal.

No explosives or suspicious devices were found, according to later local reporting.

Once authorities determined the flight could safely continue, passengers were allowed to board again.

The aircraft finally departed Tenerife South at approximately 1:46 p.m., about two hours and 26 minutes behind schedule, and continued to London Stansted without further incident.

Jet2 confirmed that passengers had been asked to leave the aircraft because of an incident involving someone on board.

“We want to apologize to everyone on board for the delay and any inconvenience caused,” an airline spokesperson said, adding that customers were able to re-board shortly afterward.

The Guardia Civil described the evacuation as a precautionary measure while officers worked to determine whether the threat was genuine or a false alarm.

Authorities have not publicly identified the passenger accused of making the statement.

As of the latest reports, officials had also not confirmed whether the person was arrested, charged or fined in connection with the incident.

The scare happened at one of the busiest airports serving Tenerife, a popular vacation destination for British travelers.

Jet2 operates numerous leisure routes between the United Kingdom and destinations across Spain, the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands, making Tenerife one of the airline’s major vacation markets.

For passengers expecting an ordinary flight home, however, the journey began with an alarming evacuation, police inspection and hours of uncertainty on the ground.

Fortunately, the aircraft was cleared and the flight ultimately reached London safely.