This Sunday, September 1, 2024, in the afternoon, an Aerolíneas Argentinas flight , departing from Ushuaia bound for Buenos Aires , became the center of media attention after receiving a bomb threat that forced the aircraft to return to the runway after taking off .
There were 150 passengers on board the plane, including well-known figures from the Argentine entertainment industry such as Marcelo Polino and Carmen Barbieri. The situation became critical when, at around 3:30 p.m. , the pilot received a warning about the threat , which led to the aircraft returning to Ushuaia and an emergency evacuation at the airport in the capital of Tierra del Fuego .
Security authorities implemented evacuation protocols and inspected the plane that was scheduled to arrive at Jorge Newbery Metropolitan Airport at 7:40 p.m. on Sunday.
What initially appeared to be an isolated incident turned into a political scandal when a member of the Tierra del Fuego legislature, the libertarian legislator, Agustín Coto, was identified as the alleged author of the threat.
The libertarian denied any involvement , stating on social media that "something surreal" had happened to him and that a passenger traveling next to him accused him of carrying a bomb . "What happened to me was almost like something out of a sequel to Wild Tales, it was surreal," said the libertarian legislator interviewed by journalist Fernando Carnota.
The media covered the event from multiple angles, highlighting both the evacuation of the flight and the political implications of the threat. Social media erupted with reactions, with many users expressing concerns about flight safety and the safety of public officials.
“ We are calmer now, but there were a lot of kids crying and screaming ,” said Carmen Barbieri .
“ Nobody gave us any information. In fact, people found out from me. They never told anyone. I approached them at one point and told them that they might not tell the passengers what was happening,” the actress said. “ They told me that if they said there was a bomb threat, people would go crazy .”
Marcelo Polino , for his part, said that the passengers were taken off “in the middle of the countryside, next to the mountain, freezing cold.” “First the airport police came and took two guys away. Then the dogs came and all that. Then they took all of us off. In fact, we don’t even have our backpacks. We got off as we were,” said the media personality.
