Bomb threats cause flight diversions across Europe

A series of bomb threats has caused significant disruption to European airspace, forcing the diversion of multiple flights. As of Thursday, at least 14 flights have been impacted, though France 24 reports that hoax bomb threats have affected at least 27 flights around Europe this week.

Reported Incidents and Diversions

Authorities have reported various diversions across several countries:

• Czech Republic: Four flights were rerouted to Václav Havel Airport in Prague following threats made via an anonymous email, according to a representative of the airport.
• Italy: Two flights from Thessaloniki, Greece, and Porto, Portugal, were diverted to Milan. A flight from Helsinki was escorted into Rome Fiumicino airport by Italian air force fighter jets, while a flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to Normandy, France.
• Bulgaria: Two Ryanair flights from Madrid and Copenhagen were diverted to Sofia, and a third flight from London was diverted to Plovdiv.
• Other locations: A Wizz Air flight from Milan landed in Bucharest, Romania, where nearly 200 passengers were evacuated. A LOT Polish Airlines flight from Warsaw was diverted to Brussels, Belgium, and a Wizz Air flight from Milan landed in Vienna, Austria.

Investigation and Group Claims

While no explosive devices have been found, investigations into the source of the threats are ongoing. A company linked to Rome’s airport, Aviapartner, received an email from a group calling itself "The Male State." The email claimed "explosive devices" were on two flights bound for Rome and stated, “Your feminist regime will never forget it.”

The email alias appeared to be linked to the municipality of Bogotá, Colombia. Bogotá Mayor Luis Fernando Galan told CNN, “It could be the account was hacked, we’ve had several of them before.”

Official Responses

European and national officials have addressed the disruptions:

• EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas: Said it is “too early to draw conclusions on whether the reported incidents are linked” and noted that the EU-level information sharing mechanism has been activated.
• UK Transport Minister Heidi Alexander: Described the threats as a “malicious hoax.”
• AENA (Spain): A spokesperson for the airport operator told CNN that law enforcement carried out security checks and found nothing on board following a threat naming three flights at Madrid-Barajas Airport.

Why it matters

The wave of threats has caused considerable disruption to international travel and required significant security resources, including fighter jet escorts and emergency inspections, despite all threats proving to be false.

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Sources

• cnn.com: Flight bomb threats live: Multiple planes in Europe diverted for second time in a week | CNN
• france24.com: Europe: Dozens of flights diverted following bomb threats - France 24

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.