This is actually a good development. A number of countries purporting to hold the highest standards on human rights were actually the ones to use this tactic of diverting flights to apprehended those they deemed to be their enemies. I am referring to the United States and EU countries in the Snowden case and other cases before that. They lowered the bar first. Now Belarus joined to the new level. It’ll be interesting to see the impact this has on their plans to keep lowering the bar for everyone in the world. Or perhaps some common sense will prevail?
Transcript of controller telling plane to land in Minsk
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Re: Transcript of controller telling plane to land in Minsk
#12> Following are excerpts from the transcript, which Reuters was unable to verify.
Why do they even post it then?
Re: Transcript of controller telling plane to land in Minsk
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Re: Transcript of controller telling plane to land in Minsk
#14All the info from ATC is in that just vague enough category that you wonder if it’s just a language barrier issue or if what you’re thinking is really happening. I feel like the pilot knew something was off, but eventually went along with it because he didn’t really have any other choice. Is Belarus going to become another country international airlines avoid flying over?
> pilot knew something was off The whole "there's a bomb that can be detonated over Vilnius" so you have to divert to an airport further away, where I am speaking from" thing sounds like a B-movie plot.
At the point they diverted they could have also flown to Kaunas (a Ryanair base) if the concern was to avoid flying over Vilnius. That would also have been closer than Minsk.
Re: Transcript of controller telling plane to land in Minsk
#15> Pilot: Again, this recommendation to divert to Minsk where did it come from? Where did it come from? Company? Did it come from departure airport authorities or arrival airport authorities? Is it usual for a pilot to ask for all this information? From a "casual reader" perspective, it looks like the pilot really did not want to divert, but this might just be my reading.
Definitely not usual. As for the pilot being suspicious, I agree. The plane was also only about 30 km (=2-3 min flying time) from the Lithuanian border. Imagine if the pilot had decided to make the attempt. A Belarusian MiG violating NATO airspace?
Re: Transcript of controller telling plane to land in Minsk
#16> Pilot: Again, this recommendation to divert to Minsk where did it come from? Where did it come from? Company? Did it come from departure airport authorities or arrival airport authorities? Is it usual for a pilot to ask for all this information? From a "casual reader" perspective, it looks like the pilot really did not want to divert, but this might just be my reading.
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Re: Transcript of controller telling plane to land in Minsk
#17> Pilot: Again, this recommendation to divert to Minsk where did it come from? Where did it come from? Company? Did it come from departure airport authorities or arrival airport authorities? Is it usual for a pilot to ask for all this information? From a "casual reader" perspective, it looks like the pilot really did not want to divert, but this might just be my reading.
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Re: Transcript of controller telling plane to land in Minsk
#18> Pilot: Again, this recommendation to divert to Minsk where did it come from? Where did it come from? Company? Did it come from departure airport authorities or arrival airport authorities? Is it usual for a pilot to ask for all this information? From a "casual reader" perspective, it looks like the pilot really did not want to divert, but this might just be my reading.
If you were told there is a bomb on board your plane, would you not be the slightest bit interested in some additional information about where that intelligence has come from?
I suspect airlines get hoax bomb threats on a regular basis so pilots are keen to understand the source and veracity of the threats.
Re: Transcript of controller telling plane to land in Minsk
#19> ATC: They say code is red.
Shouldn't ATC just say the code is red instead of trying to distance him/herself from it? Could any pilots here provide more context?