A Jetstar Airbus A320 plane diverted to Nagoya in central Japan after a bomb situation was declared mid-flight.
The incident took place on January 7, 2023, when the Jetstar Japan Airbus A320-200 aircraft, registered JA14JJ, was operating a scheduled passenger flight GK501 between Tokyo and Fukuoka in Japan.
According to flight history found on Flightradar24.com, the jet carrying 136 passengers and six crew members onboard, departed from Tokyo Narita International Airport (NRT) at 6.35 am local time and was supposed to land at Fukuoka Airport (FUK) after around two hours of flight.
But around 30 minutes after departure, the staff of NRT airport received a phone call from a person who threatened that a 100-kilogram bomb was placed in the cargo compartment of the Japanese low-cost carrier’s plane. The international phone call was reportedly received from Germany.
One of the passengers confirmed to Nikkei Asia the aircraft crew made a special in-flight announcement informing that the jet would make an emergency landing at the nearest airport. Once the plane landed, the crew warned passengers that a bomb may have been placed in the aircraft.
Flight history reveals that the A320 diverted to Chubu Centrair International Airport (NGO), located on an artificial island in Ise Bay. The jet successfully touched down at around 8.15 am local time.
Upon landing it was met by an emergency squad and all passengers were evacuated via emergency slides. Five people suffered minor injuries during disembarkation, Reuters reported.
Fortunately, no explosives or other potentially harmful items were found on the plane.