‘Death to Trump’ Bomb Threat Forces EasyJet Flight to Scotland to Divert – Passenger Arrested After Mid-Air Panic
The viral purported footage shows a man standing in the aisle of the plane and shouting “death to America” and “death to Trump
An Easyjet flight to Scotland from England’s Luton was diverted on Sunday after a passenger threatened to bomb the plane. A purported video of the incident also went viral on social media, showing the man shouting “Allahu Akbar” before other passengers take hold of him.
The viral footage shows a man standing in the aisle of the plane with a bomb threat and shouting “death to America” and “death to Trump. Following this, he starts shouting “Allahu Akbar” (an Arabic phrase meaning god is great). Other passengers are then seen tackling him to the floor of the plane.
As the camera pans around, other passengers can be seen shocked and scared. HT could not independently verify the authenticity of the video.
This month, an Indian origin man aged 21 was also arrested in Miami after he allegedly attacked the fellow passengers on Frontier Airlines and made disturbing statements aboard the flight.
The man named Ishaan Sharma began acting strangely, with mocking laughs and making statements like “‘you punt, mortal man, if you challenge me, it will result in your death.” Sharma was later arrested and charged with battery upon landing in Miami.
In a similar incident earlier in July 2016, a 38-year-old man was sentenced to ten weeks in prison for yelling “Allahu Akbar” onboard a Birmingham-bound flight, India Today reported.
As per the report, the man named Shehraz Sarwar shouted Allahu Akbar repeatedly and also shouted ‘boom’ as the plane was about to land. The chanting was followed by a turbulent landing, which scared many passengers.
Meanwhile, the report quoted Sarwar’s saying that he was upset after attending his grandmother’s funeral in Pakistan and had also not taken his medication. Ultimately, Sarwar was sentenced to 10 weeks imprisonment.
A mid-air nightmare unfolded aboard an EasyJet flight bound for Scotland when a passenger allegedly shouted “Death to Trump” and made a bomb threat, forcing the aircraft to divert and make an emergency landing. The terrifying incident, which took place on a routine flight from London to Edinburgh, triggered a full-scale security response and left over 100 passengers shaken.
The flight had taken off from London Gatwick Airport and was en route to Edinburgh when, around 35 minutes into the journey, a male passenger reportedly began acting erratically. Witnesses on board say the man suddenly stood up and began shouting anti-Trump slogans, including the chilling phrase “Death to Trump,” before claiming he had explosives in his possession.
The cabin crew immediately alerted the captain, who made the critical decision to divert the aircraft to the nearest available airport. Within minutes, the flight was rerouted to Newcastle International Airport, where emergency protocols were swiftly activated.
As the plane landed under heightened security, armed police and bomb disposal squads surrounded the aircraft on the tarmac. All passengers were asked to remain seated as authorities boarded the plane to apprehend the suspect.
The individual was promptly arrested without incident and taken into custody by Northumbria Police. A full search of the plane was conducted, and no explosives or weapons were found. However, the bomb threat was taken extremely seriously given the gravity of the claim and the political undertones.
Several passengers later shared their experiences on social media, describing the situation as “terrifying” and “surreal.” Some mentioned that children were crying and that panic spread quickly throughout the cabin once the man’s rant escalated into threats.
“We heard him yelling something about Trump and suddenly he was shouting about a bomb. It was absolute chaos. I was just praying we’d land safely,” one passenger wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Another passenger commended the cabin crew’s calm and professional response, stating that they “acted quickly to de-escalate and protect everyone on board.”
After the plane was thoroughly searched and declared safe by security personnel, the remaining passengers were disembarked and screened. EasyJet issued an apology for the inconvenience and confirmed that a replacement flight would be arranged for those continuing to Edinburgh.
A spokesperson for EasyJet stated:
“EasyJet can confirm that flight EZY8423 from London Gatwick to Edinburgh diverted to Newcastle due to a disruptive passenger. The aircraft was met by police upon arrival, and the passenger was removed. The safety and wellbeing of our customers and crew is our highest priority.”
The suspect remains in custody as authorities investigate potential charges, including making a false bomb threat, endangering an aircraft, and inciting political violence. The UK’s Counter Terrorism Command has reportedly been briefed on the case due to the nature of the threats made.
While the suspect’s motivations remain unclear, the incident raises renewed concerns over aviation safety and politically motivated disruptions. It also places a spotlight on airline protocols and the challenges faced by flight crews in handling high-stress, unpredictable scenarios at 30,000 feet.
