Operations at Latin America’s busiest hub were briefly interrupted on the afternoon of 18 February after an anonymous caller told a ground-handling agent there was a bomb on board an Air Europa flight to Madrid. Airport security activated the level-three emergency protocol, calling in São Paulo state’s elite GATE bomb-squad and cordoning off part of Terminal 2.
Within 90 minutes police traced the call to a 34-year-old Brazilian who admitted making “a joke”. He was handed over to the Federal Police and faces charges under Article 251 of Brazil’s Penal Code, which criminalises false alarms that endanger aircraft – an offence punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine. No explosives were found and the flight eventually departed with a two-hour delay.
![Bomb-hoax phone call triggers security lockdown at São Paulo/Guarulhos]()
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Although service resumed quickly, half-a-dozen departures were held on the ground during the sweep, creating minor knock-on delays during the evening peak. Airlines reminded passengers that hoax threats constitute a criminal act and warned that they will seek civil damages for operational costs.
Security consultants note that the incident underscores the importance of robust call-screening procedures for ground staff and rapid-response coordination between airport operators, airlines and law-enforcement agencies. Companies with executive movements through GRU today should allow extra time for security queues while airport policing is intensified.
Within 90 minutes police traced the call to a 34-year-old Brazilian who admitted making “a joke”. He was handed over to the Federal Police and faces charges under Article 251 of Brazil’s Penal Code, which criminalises false alarms that endanger aircraft – an offence punishable by up to five years in prison and a fine. No explosives were found and the flight eventually departed with a two-hour delay.
For travelers arranging last-minute trips to Brazil, VisaHQ can help smooth the process of securing the right paperwork. Its online platform (https://www.visahq.com/brazil/) provides clear guidance on visa requirements and offers expedited processing options, freeing passengers to focus on itinerary changes or airport security protocols when incidents like this one cause unexpected disruptions.
Although service resumed quickly, half-a-dozen departures were held on the ground during the sweep, creating minor knock-on delays during the evening peak. Airlines reminded passengers that hoax threats constitute a criminal act and warned that they will seek civil damages for operational costs.
Security consultants note that the incident underscores the importance of robust call-screening procedures for ground staff and rapid-response coordination between airport operators, airlines and law-enforcement agencies. Companies with executive movements through GRU today should allow extra time for security queues while airport policing is intensified.
