Diverted Ryanair flight due for detailed search after security alert

A major passenger airport was closed today after a security alert on a Ryanair flight.

The flight from Beauvais Airport (about an hour form Paris) to Dublin was diverted to Prestwick airport near Glasgow after a note was passed to the cabin crew claiming that there was a bomb on board the Boeing 737.

Ryanair said the captain immediately reported this to UK air traffic control and was instructed to divert to Prestwick.

RAF Tornado aircraft accompanied the Ryanair plane that landed safely at Prestwick at 2.22pm.

Ryanair said: “All passengers together with Ryanair are cooperating fully with the police and local safety authorities.

“The aircraft will now be subject to a detailed search, following which we expect it will be cleared to travel onwards to Dublin.

“Ryanair apologises sincerely for any inconvenience caused to these passengers, however the safety of our passengers and aircraft will always be our number one priority.”

While Prestwick was closed, inbound flights were being diverted to other airports and no outgoing flights were taking off.

Strathclyde Police said the airport had later reopened and all 167 passengers have been taken off the plane.

A spokesman added: “All are safe and well and are being interviewed by Strathclyde Police."

Ryanair said that the affected flight – the 1.20pm flight FR25 – had been diverted on the instruction of the British Department for Transport which is responsible for airport security.

A worker at Prestwick Airport said staff were not being evacuated but there was a large police and fire service presence.

He added that incoming flights were being diverted to Edinburgh Airport, and passengers on outgoing flights were being led back into the terminal building.

The UK Ministry of Defence confirmed that RAF Tornados helped to escort the plane to the ground.

A spokesman said: “At approximately 13.45 today a Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars was diverted from a routine training flight in order to assist a Ryanair flight from Paris to Dublin.

“Two additional Tornados were also scrambled from RAF Coningsby. The plane has now safely landed at Prestwick Airport and the three jets have now landed back at base. The incident is now a matter for Strathclyde Police.”

Three coach loads of passengers believed to be from the Dublin-bound flight were led into a terminal building with a large police escort.

The majority of the travellers appeared to be young teenagers or in their 20s.

Planes started taxiing on the runway of the reopened airport just after 5pm and a flight took off at 5.20pm.

Long queues of outbound passengers had built up inside the terminal building.