Marrakech – A Transavia flight from Agadir, Morocco to Paris Orly airport experienced a security scare and lengthy delay this Sunday, August 11, after a crew member noticed a passenger’s Bluetooth device had a name that could be interpreted as a threat.
Flight TO3121, a Boeing 737 carrying 153 passengers and 6 crew members, landed at Orly as scheduled at 10:08 a.m.
However, during the flight a crew member had noticed a passenger’s electronic device had a Bluetooth name of “Improvised Explosive Device,” as first reported by Le Parisien.
Following safety protocols, the crew alerted authorities who were waiting when the plane landed.
Passengers had to remain on board while a thorough security sweep was conducted, including bomb-sniffing dogs, to verify there was no actual threat, according to sources close to the investigation.
During this process, which lasted nearly three and a half hours, security personnel used Bluetooth scanning to identify the individual whose device name triggered the alert.
Le Parisien reports it was a teenage boy who was apparently returning from a vacation in Morocco with his parents.
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He was taken into custody by the Gendarmerie des Transports Aériens for “communication of false news compromising the safety of an aircraft in flight,” and as of 5:30 p.m. Sunday remained in custody.
Initial information suggests it may have been a poor-taste joke, as the teen regularly used this Bluetooth name.
Passengers had to wait in an isolated room as they were screened one by one until the individual was identified around 1:30 p.m.
“The flight proceeded without incident and landed normally at Orly,” Transavia spokesperson stated, but passengers and crew had to wait on board until the security operation concluded.
