Multiple European flights diverted after bomb threats
At least seven flights and a cruise ship received bomb threats earlier this week, prompting several unplanned landings across Europe on Thursday.
Several airliners were forced to make unplanned landings on Thursday after bomb threats were reported earlier in the week. Aer Lingus flight EI402 from Dublin to Rome was diverted to Evreux airbase west of Paris, the airline said in a statement. Belgian media identified a Polish LOT aircraft that landed at Brussels’ Zaventem airport. A Finnair flight from Helsinki was escorted to its scheduled arrival in Rome by the Italian air force, according to a source familiar with the situation. Bulgarian officials said three aircraft made emergency landings because of bomb threats: planes from Copenhagen and Madrid landed in Sofia, and a flight from London touched down in Plovdiv, local reports added.
The threats, which also targeted a cruise ship on Tuesday, caused disruptions at multiple airports, though no explosive devices were found. Authorities noted that no clear pattern has emerged regarding the carriers or routes involved, and that bomb threats to flights are rare and typically hoaxes. Europe’s air traffic averages more than 30,000 flights daily.