“Following this false alarm, two passengers were detained for questioning, suspected of responsibility for communicating the threat,” SATA Azores Airlines reported in a statement released at 3:30 PM.
In response to this information, the news agency Lusa inquired again with the Public Security Police (PSP), which did not provide any details.
SATA Azores Airlines stated that the bomb threat leading to the diversion of flight S4 504, which was traveling from Ponta Delgada to Bilbao (Spain) this morning, “was not validated by the competent authorities following a thorough inspection of the aircraft and luggage.”
Currently, the airline is awaiting the conclusion of the process so that “the aircraft can resume operations as soon as possible,” while providing support and assistance to passengers affected by this incident.
Earlier, at 2:40 PM, the airline had announced that the flight was diverted to Lisbon Airport, where it landed safely around noon.
According to the safety protocol, “the aircraft was directed to an isolated and secure area” at Lisbon Airport, “allowing the peaceful and safe disembarkation of all passengers and crew.”
In the same statement, SATA Azores Airlines indicated that today’s operational impact is limited to the flight to and from Bilbao, with the rest of the operations proceeding as planned.
The company emphasized that the safety of passengers and staff “is the utmost priority,” expressing regret for any inconvenience caused by this situation, “entirely beyond the company’s control.”
At 3:00 PM, the PSP informed Lusa that “the procedures are still being formalized,” without confirming whether it was a false bomb threat or whether the work at the site is ongoing.
The Lisbon Fire Brigade reported receiving an alert at 12:32 PM and deployed resources to the location.
In a statement sent to Lusa, ANA – Aeroportos de Portugal confirmed that the SATA flight from Ponta Delgada to Bilbao declared an emergency and landed safely at Humberto Delgado Airport, noting that “all appropriate measures for this situation were activated.”
Despite the situation, Lisbon Airport assured “the continuation of operations,” added ANA, deferring additional information to the competent authorities, including the PSP.
[News updated at 4:14 PM]
