A filled terror response was launched in response to an onboard bomb threat written on a bathroom mirror of a Seattle-bound Airbus A330 that forced an emergency landing in Iceland with around 266 passengers and crew.
On Monday at around 1:20 pm, Condor Airways flight DE2032 departed Frankfurt for what was supposed to be a typical 10-day voyage to the American West Coast. Instead, while it was flying over Greenland, the plane suddenly turned around and headed for Keflavik, Iceland’s main international airport.
At first, passengers were informed that an unidentified “operational failure” was the reason the flight needed to divert to Iceland. The “distressed” flight attendants then sealed the restrooms and told the passengers that the aircraft had to land because the restrooms were broken.
Winnie The Jroo, a tattoo artist from Washington, captured what happened next on TikTok while he was on the aircraft. Police officers patted down passengers and examined personal possessions while checked baggage was taken off the plane and lined up for sniffing dogs.
At first, passengers were informed that an unidentified “operational failure” was the reason the flight needed to divert to Iceland. The “distressed” flight attendants then sealed the restrooms and told the passengers that the aircraft had to land because the restrooms were broken.
@seattletimes @Condor @CondorCares
— God damn the pusher man (@BillSmi92852819) July 26, 2022
Wow. Still in Iceland after the diversion for a bomb threat last night. Not much from the airline (as in nothing from the airline) sent to a hotel for a 6 hour nap. Picking us up to go back to airport in 30... Wish I knew something.. 1/ pic.twitter.com/bXmZ893dx6
After being transported by bus to an airplane hangar to have their mug pictures taken, Jroo and the other passengers had to wait for a number of hours while the plane was being searched.
Another traveler claimed they were sent to nearby motels to relax after being delayed at the airport until after midnight. They were driven back to the airport after six hours, where a different plane brought them to Seattle.
A Condor spokeswoman claimed in a statement that the passengers were never in danger and that the emergency landing was only necessary as a safety measure.
Commercial flights frequently get bomb threats, and most passengers are unaware that their flight has been singled out by pranksters. Internal airline security employees frequently permit the flight to continue without the involvement of law authorities.
In this case, however, the Condor spokesperson says the threat “was analyzed by internal and external experts and in close coordination with all relevant authorities.”
“Purely as a precaution, the aircraft was diverted to the nearest airport, Keflavik, where it was investigated in accordance with applicable protocols and processes,” the statement continued.
“Guests and crew were accommodated in hotels in Iceland. Condor sent a standby aircraft to Iceland to bring guests from there to Seattle. The flight arrived safely in Seattle at around 3:15 pm.”
No threat was discovered by Icelandic police.
A British Airways flight attendant was detained in 2012 after writing a bomb threat on the restroom door of a flight with Tokyo as its destination. On that case, the Captain determined that the threat was a hoax and made the decision to continue the flight to Japan.
Matthew Davis, a 22-year-old flight attendant, received a six-month prison sentence.