Polish airport reopens after ‘hoax’ bomb scare on Ryanair flight

Airport spokeswoman said earlier flight was forced to make emergency landing

An investigation has begun into an anonymous call that claimed there was an explosive device on a Ryanair aircraft. Photograph: Getty
An investigation has begun into an anonymous call that claimed there was an explosive device on a Ryanair aircraft. Photograph: Getty

Warsaw's Modlin airport in Poland has reopened following a "hoax" bomb scare on board a Ryanair plane.

The airport received an anonymous call on Thursday morning saying there was an explosive device on board a Ryanair aircraft due to take off at 8.40am local time for Oslo in Norway.

The airport was closed to incoming flights while the aircraft, that had not yet been boarded, was immediately searched by Polish police bomb disposal officers.

Earlier, an airport spokeswoman had said a Ryanair flight from Oslo to Modlin was forced to make an emergency landing because of suspicions of explosives on board

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However, a Ryanair spokesman said this was not the case and that the plane was on the ground preparing to fly to Oslo when the hoax call came in. “There was no emergency landing,“ said the spokesman for Ryanair.

A statement from Ryanair wrote: “Warsaw Modlin Airport received an anonymous hoax call this morning (25 June) that there was an explosive device on a Ryanair aircraft due to take off from Warsaw Modlin to Oslo at 08.40hours local.”

The security sweep confirmed the call had been a hoax and the airport has now reopened for regular service.

Ryanair issued an apology to passengers for any delays caused by the incident. “Ryanair sincerely apologises to the customers of the outbound Oslo flight for any inconvenience caused by this hoax call.”

A spokesman for Warsaw police said a 48-year-old man has been detained after the hoax call was traced to his home. “This was an irresponsible prank,“ the spokesman, Mariusz Mrozek, told Polish broadcaster TVN24.

Police bomb disposal officers were called in to conduct checks on the aircraft, and found no explosives on board, said Edyta Adamus, a spokeswoman for Warsaw police.

Additional reporting from Reuters