More than two dozen hoax bomb threats have forced flight diversions, emergency landings and military escorts across Europe this week, with no explosives found. Broadcasters in Ireland, Britain and Bulgaria also received threats.
A wave of bomb threats against passenger flights has forced diversions, emergency landings and military escorts across European airspace this week. Authorities have described more than two dozen threats as malicious hoaxes, and no actual attacks have been carried out.
At least 35 aircraft have reportedly been searched or diverted since the disruption began earlier this week. The incidents have affected flights serving cities including Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Madrid, Milan, Prague, Rome, Vienna and Warsaw.
On Thursday, Aer Lingus Flight EI402 from Dublin to Rome diverted to the Évreux air base in France after receiving a bomb threat over French airspace. All 151 passengers and six crew members were evacuated while a bomb squad inspected the aircraft. No bomb was found.
Italian air force jets escorted a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome after an email threat. Bomb disposal experts found nothing. A second Finnair flight from Helsinki to Vienna also received a threat and landed safely.
Three Ryanair flights bound for Sofia, Bulgaria, were affected. Flights from Copenhagen and Madrid landed in Sofia, while a flight from London Stansted diverted to Plovdiv. Bulgarian fighter jets escorted all three planes, 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.
An email sent to European broadcasters on Friday claimed to be from the leader of the group behind the plane hoaxes and also said bombs had been placed in their buildings, prompting evacuations. No bombs were found at the sites. The news agency Reuters said it could not verify the sender’s identity, where the emails originated or whether they were linked to the threats against flights.
Separately, three broadcasters, Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ, Britain’s Sky and Bulgaria’s NOVA TV, received security threats on Friday.
No government or organization has been identified as responsible for the airline threats, and authorities have found no evidence establishing a connection to any state actor. An email containing a bomb threat sent Thursday to airport authorities in Rome appeared to come from a group describing itself as anti-feminist. The sender claimed it was targeting what it called a “feminist regime.”
EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said it remained too early to conclude that the reported incidents were connected. An EU aviation-security information-sharing mechanism has been activated.
Danish Defence Minister Jeppe Bruus said the threats could not currently be connected directly to Russia, even as he warned about a broader rise in hostile activity.
Philip Baum, a visiting professor of aviation security at Coventry University, told AP that a single diversion could cost an airline as much as $250,000, including replacement crews, missed connections and disruption to the rest of the day’s schedule.
Each diversion can disrupt aircraft schedules, crew hours and connecting journeys, adding pressure to a system built for predictability. Experts say authorities may eventually need to adapt response procedures if the threats persist, but any changes would require coordination and are likely to remain confidential.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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A fresh wave of bomb threats hit European flights and media organizations on Friday, following similar incidents earlier in the week. No explosives were found, and authorities have not identified who is responsible.
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