A bomb threat sent to Jersey Airport sat unread for nearly seven hours – because it landed in a customer enquiries inbox that isn’t monitored overnight, it has emerged.
How the incident unfolded…
The threat was emailed at 23:16 on 4 March, long after the terminal had closed for the day.
It wasn’t until early in the morning on 5 March – when Ports of Jersey staff began their routine morning checks – that the email was spotted and emergency protocols were activated.
The alarm was officially raised around 6:30, triggering a full emergency response, including armed police.
The terminals were evacuated, with hundreds of passengers and airport staff escorted outside.
All flights between Jersey and Guernsey were delayed, including the first departures and arrivals of the day between the Channel Islands, and bus services to and from the facility were suspended.
Initial investigations included the screening of luggage, with some bags being taken off aircraft in order to be re-screened.
One eyewitness described Jersey Airport as being “in full lockdown”.
No explosive device was found, and the threat was later deemed “non-credible”. The airport reopened at 11:02.
Investigation ongoing
The alarming detail came to light in response to a question Deputy Jonathan Renouf, who had asked External Relations Minister Ian Gorst when authorities were first made aware of the threat.
He explained that he had not been briefed about the threat, as he does not hold statutory responsibility for the Airport, but had requested confirmation of the timings from Ports of Jersey.
The threatening email came around just four weeks after island schools were targeted by a hoaxer, with one – St George’s Prep in St Peter – being evacuated and remaining closed for the remainder of the day.
A police investigation into the security incident is still ongoing, with officers working alongside “specialists”.
Deputy Gorst said Ports of Jersey had confirmed that a multi-agency review was held after the March scare, including representatives from the Office of the Director of Civil Aviation, all three emergency services, the Channel Islands Emergency Planning authority, the hospital, and the Justice and Home Affairs Department.
“Nothing to see here”?
At the time of the bomb threat, Jersey Airport was under “special attention” – a status put in place by aviation regulators in December 2024 amid concerns over the impact of restructuring.
That status was only lifted only last week, following regular audits and a commitment to operational improvement.
Eight employees were put at risk of redundancy during the restructuring process at the Airport – five of these in senior positions in its “operational leadership team” – with seven staff members ultimately leaving the organisation and one being promoted into a new role.
Five new positions were created at the same time: head of customer operations, security compliance manager, operations planning analyst, aviation operations training manager and manager of air traffic control – with two of these roles going to external candidates and two to internal promotions.
However, the position of air traffic control manager remains vacant and is being covered by an “experienced professional” on an interim basis.
The Government previously said that the ‘Special Attention’ status and restructuring carried “no risk” of any suspension of operations at the Airport.
Ministers have however in recent weeks been accused of seeking to take a “nothing to see here” approach by Deputy Renouf, who said he had been told about the airport failing two security checks and having a series of challenges around staffing.
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