Andrea Innocenti On the afternoon of Thursday, November 5, a Ryanair plane en route from Pescara to Charleroi was suddenly hit by a false bomb threat . The alarm was raised at 1:13 PM when the crew spotted the word "bomb" written inside the aircraft's toilet. The captain immediately reported the anomaly to control , which informed the Charleroi Airport press office.
“Bombshell” Message Discovered in Airplane Toilet
The inscription found among the medical staff immediately alerted the airport authorities. The reporting operation took place precisely at 1:13 PM , when the alert procedure was initiated . Ground staff, together with the tower, activated a crisis unit composed of representatives from the emergency services and security, to coordinate the subsequent verification operations.
Emergency procedures implemented by Charleroi Airport
To limit the potential risk, passengers were kept on board until an orderly disembarkation could be organized. Once ashore, they were gradually disembarked and subjected to thorough checks. The check was supported by explosive-sniffing dogs , trained to detect explosive residue, and involved every passenger and every piece of luggage.
Authorities also inspected the plane's cargo spaces.
Inspection of baggage and aircraft compartments
During the inspection, the staff opened all the trunks and print containers, verifying the absence of dangerous materials. The checks involved at least seven security officers , and, in total, more than twenty pieces of luggage were checked . No suspicious odors or signs of explosives were detected.
Outcome of checks and resumption of operations
After a thorough assessment, authorities declared there was no danger. The alert was thus classified as false . With the certainty of the absence of explosive devices, the alert phase was closed and boarding procedures for the return flight to Pescara resumed. The incident occurred on a day when at least 20 European flights received reports of potential threats, seven of which were on routes to or from Italy.