Multiple European Flights Diverted Following Series of Bomb Threats

Multiple flights across Europe made emergency landings on Thursday following a series of bomb threats, according to authorities. The incidents follow several hoax bomb threats earlier in the week that prompted searches, diversions, and military escorts.

Flight Diversions and Security Responses

Authorities confirmed that at least 12 flights were targeted by bomb threats on Thursday. The following disruptions were reported:

• Aer Lingus: A flight from Dublin to Rome diverted to the Evreux-Fauville Air Base in Normandy, France. The French prime minister’s office said the plane landed safely and all 157 people on board were taken to safety.
• Finnair: A flight from Helsinki to Rome was escorted by Italian air force fighter jets and landed at Leonardo da Vinci airport. A second Finnair flight from Helsinki to Vienna also faced a threat and landed as normal, according to the airline.
• Wizz Air: A flight from Milan to Warsaw was diverted to Vienna, according to reports. Another Wizz Air flight from Milan to Bucharest landed safely in Bucharest following a bomb threat, according to airport spokesman Teo Postelnicu.
• Ryanair: Three flights bound for Sofia, Bulgaria, were affected. Two flights—one from Copenhagen, Denmark, and one from Madrid—landed at Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport. A third flight from London’s Stansted Airport was diverted to Plovdiv, Bulgaria, according to Plovdiv Airport CEO Krassimir Peshev.
• LOT Polish Airlines: A flight from Warsaw to Brussels landed at its destination where inspections found no hazardous or suspicious items, the airline said. Another LOT flight departing Warsaw for Paris was checked at Chopin Airport after a threat was reported; airport spokesman Piotr Rudzki said no threat was identified.
• Czech Republic: Czech police stated that four planes landed in Prague after being targeted by bomb threats, but officers assessed "the severity of the threats as low" and found no explosives.

Previous Incidents and Context

These incidents follow a series of hoax threats earlier in the week. On Monday, a Wizz Air flight from London Luton Airport to Sofia was escorted by a Hungarian fighter jet to Budapest following a mid-air bomb threat. On Tuesday, seven planes were searched in Spain, Poland, Italy, and Bulgaria; no explosives were found.

Other recent disruptions included two flights from the UK: one from Manchester that landed in Murcia, Spain, and another from London Heathrow to Warsaw, Poland. Additionally, two Ryanair flights from Dublin and Lisbon were searched after landing in Rome following anonymous tips, according to sources at Fiumicino airport.

Geopolitical Tensions and Security

While no country has attributed blame for the threats, France 24 reports that European officials have been blaming both Russia and Iran for what they describe as "hybrid attacks" and acts of sabotage. Moscow and Tehran both deny any such campaign.

Authorities have warned that "hybrid threats abound" amid increased geopolitical tensions and other disruptions, such as drone incursions in Europe. The UK government described the recent incidents as "malicious hoax threats."

Why it matters

Jan-Arwed Richter, CEO of the aviation-safety analysis firm JACDEC, stated that the risk of someone successfully smuggling a bomb aboard an airplane is low, noting, "Today there is hardly any thinkable way to get explosives aboard a commercial flight."

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Sources

• ctvnews.ca: Europe flights make emergency landings after bomb threats
• france24.com: Bomb threats cause major flight disruptions across Europe - France 24
• politico.eu: Bomb threats target at least 12 more European flights – POLITICO
• bbc.com: Multiple European flights face bomb threats for second time this week

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