Small explosive device on Jet at Istanbul Airport

[BRISTOLRE]

Breaking news just in, a bomb has just exploded on an aircraft in Istanbul, anyone else heard anything. News just in...

[Kerosene Kraut]

German report about three injured. Airport worker cleaned parked Turkish airlines 737-400 coming from Izmir. Left bag exploded.

http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/0,1518,306339,00.html

Spiegel story says that the US Pres is scheduled to depart from same airport later today.

[Global Pilot]

SkyNews report in English.

http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1140989,00.html

[Load Toad]

& from the BBC

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/3849743.stm

[Nickctaylor]

ISTANBUL, June 29 (AFP) - A booby-trapped package exploded
Tuesday aboard a Turkish Airlines airliner at Istanbul's
international airport after passengers had disembarked, injuring
three cleaners, an airline spokesman told AFP.
The blast ocurred just hours before NATO leaders, including US
President George W. Bush, were due to fly out of Ataturk airport
following a two-day NATO summit.
"After the passangers got off, the cleaners entered the
aircraft. Then a booby-trapped parcel, resembling a wallet went
off," said Recep Guvelioglu, a spokesman from Turkish Airlines.
He said the fingers of the cleaner, who opened the package, were
torn off, while two other cleaners suffered minor injuries. Two of
the three cleaners have been hospitalised.
A police official at the airport confirmed the blast.
"It was a very minor explosion ... We are now looking into it,"
she told AFP.
The airplane had arrived in Istanbul from the western Turkish
city of Izmir, she said.
Police cordoned off the aircraft after the incident and
firefighters were in, Anatolia news agency reported.
Meanwhile, in a separate incident police defused a smoke grenade
on surburban train tracks near the Turkish capital Tuesday, the
Anatolia news agency said.
Although it proved harmless, officials were taking no chances in
the jumpy atmosphere surrounding the NATO summit in Istanbul.
Draconian security measures have surrounded the conference
center where the NATO meeting was taking place after a blast aboard
a crowded bus killed four people on Thursday.

[akerosid]

BRISTOLRE, I was a bit confuised by your title; are more bombs threatened or expected?

For information, the aircraft was an -800, TC-JFD.

[waivar]

Just venting my spleen

Why is it still possible for slip-ups like this to happen post 9/11?

It seems obvious that any aircraft flying to or from istanbul is a target by terrorists. What would have happened if the a/c had been at altitude with passengers on board...... To the aircraft not much i suspect from only a small package, but would it be another massive jolt to the aviation industry???

Will this lesson be learnt??

[hobie]

quote

" ....... the fingers of the cleaner, who opened the package, were
torn off"

and .....

"A police official at the airport confirmed the blast. It was a very minor explosion"

I'm confused ....

[Daysleeper]

.I'm confused ...

Simple really, by all standards a device hidden in a wallet that only removes your fingers is minor. tragic to the person directly involved but compared to suicide truck bombs its nothing.

[hobie]

quote ......

"Simple really, by all standards a device hidden in a wallet that only removes your fingers is minor. tragic to the person directly involved but compared to suicide truck bombs its nothing"

now I wonder if that is really true at FL 300 and its positioned in a vulnerable position on the aircraft .......

let us all hope so !!!!

[Airline Tycoon]

akerosid


IST = India Sierra Tango (Istanbul) not 1st (first).

[KAT TOO]

Just a good job it wasn't Paris CDG the cleaner would have lost his `love tackle` not his fingers!

[alexban]

If you fly to IST be careful with the security checks.They are known for their not so high standard of security.

[hobie]

anyone notice this thread is filling up with "Riddles"?

whats all the IST/1st all about?

ah!!!! ..... just worked out the "Paris" post :p :p :p

:ok:

[BRISTOLRE]

Hobie
people being pedantic. My posting was typed in capitals (IST) as in Istanbul but appeared lower case (Ist) for some reason and some people saw an opportunity to "twist" the thread! Yes, it was a bomb and bombs are intended to go off.