Ibiza airport was closed early this afternoon (Thursday) due to a security incident with flights temporarily diverted to Palma. Spanish airport authority AENA confirmed the closure while waiting to know the exact number of flights that have been diverted to Mallorca as a result of this closure of Ibiza airport for a reason that is still officially unknown.
Some sources refer to an alleged bomb threat on a flight bound for Milan-Bergamo from Ibiza, although there is no confirmation from the authorities, airport management or Civil Aviation. According to ‘El Periódico de Ibiza y Formentera’, a passenger on a plane that was about to take off from Ibiza’s airport reportedly claimed to be carrying a bomb. This caused all the alarms to go off and all operations brought to a standstill.
A Ryanair flight was apparently on the runway awaiting the intervention of the Guardia Civil who proceeded to arrest the passenger who provoked this incident. Finally, after nearly an hour - about 45 minutes - without take-offs or landings, activity returned to normal, although for the rest of the day delays are expected as a result of the incident.