Malta’s International Airport made an emergency landing of a Turkish Airlines flight on Wednesday, during which several Moroccan passengers fled after the unscheduled landing.
The flight had been diverted after the captain requested permission to land, following the sudden onset of a health emergency involving a Moroccan passenger.
According to data from FlightRadar24, Turkish Airlines flight TK619, which had taken off from Istanbul at 8:56 AM UTC bound for Marrakech, was diverted to Malta after two hours in the air.
The aircraft, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 registered as TC-LCI, landed at 11:02 AM UTC.
The escape occurred while the aircraft was still on the runway, prompting a swift security response.
The Maltese police were notified and immediately initiated a full-scale search, with the assistance of the country’s defense forces, focusing on the airport and surrounding areas.
The Moroccan passenger who caused the emergency landing due to his health condition remains under police custody at Mater Dei Hospital. Meanwhile, the authorities continue to search for the passengers who fled after the landing.
The incident triggered airport security protocols in Malta, leading to a coordinated response from local police and other relevant authorities to track down the fugitives. Authorities are also investigating the circumstances that led to the unauthorized escape.
This case follows a similar incident in March 2024, when 17 Moroccan passengers attempted to escape from Fiumicino Airport in Rome after an emergency landing of a flight from Istanbul to Tangier.
The emergency had been prompted by a cardiac arrest experienced by one of the passengers. After the landing, Italian security forces intercepted the fleeing passengers, conducted identity checks, and allowed the plane to continue to Tangier.
The incident is part of a pattern of similar attempts by Moroccan passengers to flee after emergency landings in European airports.
In July 2022, 28 passengers tried to escape after an emergency landing in Barcelona, while some successfully fled in a similar event in Palma de Mallorca in November 2021.
Another such event occurred in December 2022 at Barcelona International Airport, when a Pegasus Airlines flight from Casablanca to Istanbul made an emergency landing due to a passenger claiming she was in labor. During this incident, 27 passengers attempted to disembark illegally, with 13 arrested and 14 managing to escape, their whereabouts still unknown.
These recurring incidents have led to enhanced security measures at European airports, particularly for emergency landings involving flights between North Africa and Turkey.
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