A student who caused chaos to air passengers’ travel plans by claiming an explosive was on a Turkish-bound flight is now behind bars.

Muhammet Demir, 20, called police saying a bomb was on an easyJet flight due to fly from Gatwick Airport to Turkey just before 4.30pm on September 9.

At that time, the only easyJet plane to the port city of Izmir in Turkey that day was taxiing on the runway with 170 passengers on board.

It had to be recalled to a remote stand where it was met by armed police at the West Sussex airport before being given the all-clear.

But the hoax led to the flight being delayed for three hours, Sussex Police said.

At Brighton Magistrates’ Court last week, he pleaded guilty to communicating a false message to cause a bomb hoax and was remanded in custody to be sentenced at a crown court on a date to be fixed, police said.

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