Operations at Charleroi Airport resumed on Tuesday afternoon following a bomb threat on a plane earlier in the day. All arriving and departing flights were suspended for several hours. The threat was a hoax made by a prankster, who has been arrested in the United Kingdom.
Around 11:00, a bomb threat was reported on board a Ryanair plane from Faro (Portugal) that had arrived at Charleroi Airport shortly before.
International police organisation Interpol informed the Charleroi Public Prosecutor's Office and the Belgian federal police that a prankster was behind the alert, which had been forwarded to them from the UK. The prankster was identified and arrested in the country.
Earlier on Tuesday afternoon, the Charleroi Public Prosecutor's Office said that they had received information from the British section of Interpol about a person allegedly carrying explosives on board a plane flying from Faro to Charleroi on Tuesday morning. The person in question was also said to have made worrying statements.
Although a search yielded nothing, the Public Prosecutor decided to question the person. That interrogation is in progress on Tuesday afternoon. As a precaution, the luggage of all other passengers was also searched.
What happened?
For three hours on Tuesday, a security perimeter was set up around the aircraft, which meant that the runway had to be closed and operations were interrupted.
"Since 13:45, the runway has reopened and operations have resumed," Nathalie Pierard, spokesperson for the airport, told The Brussels Times. "However, delays are expected throughout the afternoon. We thank passengers for their patience and understanding."
After the plane landed on Tuesday morning, it was moved to a separate area of the airport. The runway and the main road behind it were closed. As the terminal did not fall within the 500-metre perimeter, it was not evacuated. "By 13:30, the police had evacuated the 166 passengers from the plane," Pierard said.
The police carried out security screenings and determined that the airport's operations could resume on Tuesday afternoon.
"Ryanair was informed of a security threat on flight FR6313 from Faro to Brussels Charleroi [on Tuesday 13 May]. The aircraft landed normally at Charleroi as planned. Passengers have been disembarked, and the aircraft is being prepared for return to service. We sincerely apologise to any passengers affected," the Irish low-cost airline told The Brussels Times in a statement.
During the disruption, flights were diverted to Brussels Airport Zaventem and Lille. Some flights will still be delayed up to three hours into the afternoon.
This story was updated to include that the bomb alert was a hoax, and a prankster was arrested in the UK.
