Flight Attendant Arrested After Being Linked to Bomb Threats Against Airline

A flight attendant was dismissed from Turkish Airlines and is under investigation after being linked to bomb threats against the airline.

A Turkish Airlines flight attendant will no longer fly with the airline and may face criminal charges, after the airline claims the attendant was linked to at least one bomb threat. Turkey’s Daily Sabah reports the airline dismissed the attendant for a connection to the bomb threats.

Turkish Airlines chairman Ilker Ayci told the newspaper said that the unidentified male employee was dismissed by the airline and local police are investigating the situation. According to the Daily Sabah, the Turkish Doğan News Agency reported one person was arrested two months ago in connection to a bomb threat, but could not confirm if the arrested person worked for Turkish Airlines.

At least three Turkish Airlines flights have been affected by bomb threats so far in 2015. In March, Turkish Airlines Flight 15 was forced to make an emergency landing after a bomb threat was made against the aircraft. In April, another Turkish Airlines flight was investigated, after a threatening note was found aboard their aircraft. In July, another flight was forced to make an emergency landing, after the crew found a bomb threat written in a lavatory.

While the airline did not elaborate which bomb threat the unidentified attendant was responsible for, the Daily Sabah cited several media reports that linked the attendant to the April bomb threat. The airline did not clarify if the attendant was responsible for one or multiple bomb threats.

Aviation laws require pilots to take emergency actions once a bomb threat is made against an aircraft, including landing at the nearest available airport. Experts estimate that a single bomb threat can cost an airline over $108,000.

[Photo: Turkish Airlines]