At least 27 passenger flights across Europe were affected by bomb threats on Thursday, leading to emergency landings, flight diversions, military escorts and security checks at several airports.
The threats affected flights operated by airlines including Ryanair, Finnair, Wizz Air, Aer Lingus, Aegean Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Air Europa and Iberia. Several aircraft were diverted to other airports, while others were allowed to continue to their destinations after security checks.
All affected aircraft landed safely, and inspections carried out so far have found no explosives or suspicious materials. Authorities have described several of the alerts as hoaxes. More than 20 such alerts have been reported this week, although their source and motive remain unknown, AP reported.
Affected flights
Flights departing from or travelling to cities such as Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Madrid, Milan, Warsaw, Rome, Sofia and Vienna were among those targeted.
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Some aircraft were diverted to alternative airports, while others continued to their intended destinations after security checks. Fighter jets from Italy, France and Bulgaria were also deployed to escort aircraft.
Some of the major incidents reported on Thursday:
- Aer Lingus: A flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to the Evreux military air base in Normandy, France, after a bomb threat. A French warplane escorted the aircraft. All 151 passengers and six crew members were safe. Military bomb disposal teams examined the plane, while passengers underwent security checks.
- Finnair: Two flights from Helsinki, one bound for Rome and the other for Vienna, received bomb threats. Both landed safely. Italian fighter jets escorted the Rome-bound aircraft, and inspections found nothing suspicious. The aircraft was cleared to return to service after checks.
- Ryanair: Three flights heading to Sofia, Bulgaria, from Copenhagen, Madrid and London's Stansted Airport were targeted. Two landed safely in Sofia, while the London flight was diverted to Plovdiv. All three aircraft were escorted by fighter jets and subsequently inspected. No explosives were found.
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- Wizz Air: A flight from Milan to Bucharest landed safely after receiving a bomb threat. Another Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw was diverted to Vienna. Security procedures were followed in both cases.
- Aegean Airlines: Two flights, from Thessaloniki to Milan and Athens to Vienna, received bomb threats. The airline later confirmed that both alerts were baseless. The flights departed from Milan and Vienna after security checks.
- Spain: The Guardia Civil received three bomb-threat emails within less than 20 minutes. The threats involved two Air Europa flights scheduled to depart from Madrid for Paris and four incoming Iberia flights from Rome and Milan. Some aircraft were stopped or returned to their parking stands, and passengers were asked to disembark while security checks were carried out.
- Flights to Prague: Four aircraft scheduled to land in Prague were targeted by threats. Czech police carried out inspections after their arrival but found nothing suspicious. The flights were operated by airlines including Ryanair, easyJet and Sky Express.
- LOT Polish Airlines: A Warsaw-to-Brussels flight landed safely, with inspections finding no suspicious material. Authorities also checked a Warsaw-to-Paris flight before departure after a threat was reported at Chopin Airport. No danger was identified, although one runway was temporarily closed during security checks.
- Copenhagen Airport: Two aircraft were searched following bomb threats. Police said there was no danger to passengers or other people at the airport.
A separate threat was also reported against a flight to Warsaw that landed in Vienna. Police inspected the aircraft and found nothing suspicious before it continued to its destination.
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What authorities said
European authorities have said it is too early to establish whether all the threats are connected. European Union transport commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said the bloc was monitoring the incidents in coordination with national authorities.
“Any threats against civilians are unacceptable. Ensuring the safety and security of citizens remains a priority,” he wrote on X. “We are closely monitoring the situation and are in contact with the affected Member States and the European Aviation Safety Agency. The EU-level information sharing mechanism has been activated related to aviation security.”
"I have asked the national authoritis that have the responsibility for assessing security threats, investigating incidents and implementing appropriate aviation security measures, to cooperate closely with airport operators, airlines and law enforcement authorities," the statement read. He added that it was “too early to draw conclusions on whether the reported incidents are linked.”
Britain's transport secretary Heidi Alexander described the incidents as "malicious hoax threats". She said a small number of flights across Europe had been disrupted and that established procedures were in place to deal with such threats, as per AFP.
Airlines said they followed security protocols and worked with local authorities to ensure passenger safety.
Recent incidents in Europe have included suspected attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems, drone incursions and false emergency alerts sent through mobile apps. European security officials have also warned about an increase in activities such as sabotage, cyberattacks, espionage and drone-related incidents.
Similar threats
On Tuesday, 10 flights across Europe received bomb threats, all of which were later found to be hoaxes, AP reported. The alerts led to aircraft inspections, diversions and the temporary closure of an airport in Warsaw. Italian fighter jets were also deployed to escort an aircraft.
On Monday, a Wizz Air flight travelling from London's Luton Airport to Sofia was diverted to Budapest, Hungary, after receiving a bomb threat. It made an emergency landing there.
Earlier incidents involved airlines such as LOT Polish Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Wizz Air and Ryanair.
Some of the threats were reportedly sent through emails from anonymous addresses. Authorities are investigating the incidents.
(With inputs from AP and AFP, Reuters)