On Sunday, May 5th, 2024, a British Airways flight scheduled to depart Bermuda for London was evacuated after a bomb threat was received.
British Airways flight BA158 bound for London Heathrow (LHR) airport, was originally set to take off at 8:50 local time.
British Airways BA158 Bermuda-London
The aircraft had reportedly commenced taxiing before its flight crew squawked emergency transponder code 7700.
The emergency squawk transmission, received whilst the aircraft was still on the ground, came amid a reported bomb threat.
The London bound flight was subsequently evacuated around 9:30 pm local time as a precaution.
Receipt of Bomb Threat
According to local Bermudan news source the Royal Gazette, a spokesperson for the Bermuda Police Service confirmed the receipt of a bomb threat.
“Shortly before 9.30pm on Sunday, May 5, 2024, police were notified by staff at the L.F. Wade International Airport of a bomb threat that was received via e-mail.”
Upon receiving the email threat, authorities acted swiftly to lock down the airport facility. The airport was evacuated, and surrounding roads were closed to allow for a thorough investigation.
The Police Service confirmed that emergency landing protocols were then put in place for the airport. Passengers were disembarked safely from British Airways flights BA158 and awaited further instructions.
Investigation and Resolution
A comprehensive search conducted by authorities subsequently revealed no signs of a bomb on board the aircraft. The airport was declared safe shortly after, and all roads were then reopened.
Local news sources confirmed that the regular traffic flow into the airport was resumed by 11.00 PM local time.
While this incident caused delays and concerns, the swift response by authorities and the safe outcome demonstrate the ongoing commitment to passenger safety in Bermuda’s travel industry.
The aircraft due to conduct British Airways flight BA158 to London was a Boeing 777-200ER, registered G-VIIN.
This is a 25.8-year-old wide-body aircraft belonging to the British national carrier British Airways. It is been in service with the airline since its initial delivery in August 1998.
Click the banner to subscribe to our weekly Emergencies and Incidents newsletter.
Click the photo to join our WhatsApp channel so then you can stay up to date with everything going on in the aviation industry!
