Third wave of bomb threats hits European flights and media outlets

European airlines and media organizations have been hit by a third wave of bomb threats this week, with no explosives found on any planes as of Friday.

Flight disruptions

On Friday, multiple flights to and from Lisbon, Rome, Prague and Sofia were targeted, and 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, and all landed safely.

Czech police said they received threats involving four flights arriving in Prague and five departing from the city. No devices were found and no flights were canceled or diverted, according to Reuters. A Wizz Air service traveling from Prague to Rome was diverted to Venice, where it landed safely.

The latest warnings followed a wave of hoax threats on Thursday that disrupted nearly 30 flights across Europe. Some aircraft were forced to land at unscheduled airports, while fighter jets escorted or intercepted others. That came after an initial wave on Tuesday, when at least seven flights and a cruise ship received similar threats.

Media outlets targeted

Several media organizations were evacuated on Friday after receiving threats. Ireland's public broadcaster RTÉ evacuated its building, and armed gardaí were deployed to its Dublin headquarters. 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.

In a statement, gardaí said they were "aware of a threat made against media organisations here and in Europe."

The Irish government said 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. "Yesterday, there appeared to be coordinated efforts to disrupt air travel," he said. Martin told RTÉ it was not yet known if the threats had come from individuals or if it was a "coordinated attack" but said they were being taken seriously.

Who is responsible

No official group or state has been identified by any European country at this stage. The European Union has said it is too early to say whether the incidents are linked.

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."

Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said "the most reasonable assumption is that we are facing an attempt at hybrid aggression and a form of psychological warfare." The UK's transport minister Heidi Alexander described the threats as a "malicious hoax."

Why it matters

The threats have caused travel disruption and evacuations across multiple European countries while authorities investigate whether the incidents are connected. Ireland is scheduled to host two high-profile European Union meetings in Dublin next week.

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Sources

• bbc.com: New wave of bomb threats hit European airlines
• yahoo.com: New wave of bomb threats hit European airlines and media outlets
• cnn.com: Wave of anonymous bomb threats in Europe spreads to broadcasters — what’s going on? | CNN
• forbesmiddleeast.com: Fake Bomb Threats Force European Flights To Land As Security Alert Widens

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