Second wave of bomb threats disrupts European airlines

European airlines faced a second wave of bomb threats on Thursday, targeting carriers including Wizz Air, Finnair, Aer Lingus, LOT Polish Airlines and Ryanair, and throwing air travel into disarray across the region.

Flights affected

An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to the Évreux military air base in Normandy, France. The office of French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said all 151 passengers and six crew members were safe, and military bomb disposal teams were examining the plane. A French warplane escorted the flight to the base.

Finnair said two of its flights “faced unfounded hoax bomb scares.” One flight from Helsinki to Rome was escorted by Italian air force fighter jets, while the other, operated by Jettime from Helsinki to Vienna, landed safely and was expected to return to service after an inspection.

Three Ryanair flights bound for Sofia, Bulgaria, were targeted. Flights from Copenhagen and Madrid landed in Sofia, while a flight from London’s Stansted Airport diverted to Plovdiv. Bulgarian MiG-29 fighter jets escorted the aircraft over Bulgaria’s airspace, and inspections found no explosives.

Czech police said four planes headed to Prague were targeted by bomb threats. Authorities searched the aircraft after they landed and found nothing suspicious.

A Wizz Air flight from Milan to Bucharest landed safely after a threat, and checks found no danger. Another Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw was rerouted to Vienna.

A LOT Polish Airlines flight from Warsaw to Brussels landed safely, and inspections found no hazardous or suspicious items. Authorities also checked a LOT flight preparing to depart Warsaw for Paris after a threat was reported at the airport.

Official response

Eurocontrol, the European coordinator of air traffic across the region, said it is monitoring the situation and working closely with airlines, airports, air navigation service providers.

The UK government called the incidents “malicious hoax threats.” UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander described Thursday’s incidents as “malicious hoax threats” and said the government was taking “these threats seriously.”

Ben Smith, chief executive officer of Air France-KLM, said on a call with journalists: “To have this in a coordinated way, I don’t think we’ve seen this before.”

Why it matters

• No explosives were found on any of the affected flights.
• The threats come amid heightened geopolitical tension and other disruptions in Europe, including hacking attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems and drone incursions.
• Aviation security experts say the apparent coordination and timing of the incidents is unusual, though no public evidence links them to any specific state or organisation.

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Sources

• insurancejournal.com: European Airlines Face Second Wave of Aircraft Bomb Threats
• wpde.com: Second wave of bomb threats disrupts European flights
• cyprus-mail.com: Europe hit by second wave of airline bomb threats | Cyprus Mail
• bbc.com: Hoax bomb threats target European airlines and airports for second time in a 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.