Hoax bomb threats disrupt European flights and media outlets

European airlines were hit with a new wave of bomb threats on Friday, the third such incident this week, according to Reuters reporting by the BBC.

Flight disruptions

Multiple flights to and from Lisbon, Rome, Prague and Sofia were targeted. Three planes were escorted by Hungarian fighter jets, authorities said.

A Ryanair flight scheduled to leave Lisbon for Rome was targeted, the airline said. At least 11 flights were targeted in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, according to AFP. France reported at least four of its flights were targeted by threats, and they all landed safely.

Earlier in the week, nearly 30 aircraft and several airports across Europe were impacted by threats, which the UK called a "malicious hoax".

No explosives have been found on any planes as of Friday.

Media outlets evacuated

Several high-profile media organisations were evacuated after threats were made against them. Ireland's public broadcaster RTÉ evacuated its Dublin headquarters after armed gardaí were deployed.

Staff at the Irish Independent newspaper and the Dublin offices of radio stations NewstalkFM and TodayFM were also advised to leave their buildings. UK broadcaster Sky said it received a security threat.

Gardaí said they were "aware of a threat made against media organisations here and in Europe".

Official responses

The Irish government warned it is a "likely coordinated campaign of disruption". In a statement, it said: "Hoax threats such as these cause fear, distress and disruption to people going about their daily lives and activities; they achieve no positive purpose whatsoever. It is not known yet who is responsible for these threats, whether it is individuals or a centralised or co-ordinated effort."

Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin described the situation as "worrying" and said his government's first priority was the safety of the Irish public. He said it was not yet known if the threats had come from individuals or if it was a "coordinated attack" but that they were being taken seriously.

Ireland is scheduled to host two high-profile European Union meetings in Dublin next week.

Sky, owned by Comcast, said in a statement read by a presenter on its news channel that the broadcaster had "carried out a security assessment and reported the matter to the relevant authorities". It added: "The safety and security of our colleagues is our primary concern, and we are working closely with authorities to ensure our people and operations remain secure."

Denials

The Russian extremist group "Male State", named in this week's hoax bomb threats to Italian airports, denied any link to the false warnings. Replying to the BBC Russian Service, an account on Telegram linked to the group and its founder Vladislav Pozdnyakov said: "What Male State? Where have you seen it? It hasn't existed for many years."

Why it matters

The threats caused flight diversions, evacuations of media buildings, and fighter jet escorts across multiple European countries. Authorities have not established a link between the threats against airlines and those against media outlets, and no explosives have been found.

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Sources

• thestar.com: What to know about the hoax bomb threats that targeted flights in Europe
• bbc.com: New wave of bomb threats hit European airlines

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