Bomb threats cause emergency landings and diversions across Europe
A series of bomb threats forced several flights to make emergency landings or be rerouted in France, Italy, Bulgaria and other European countries, prompting military escorts and security inspections.
Several bomb threats have led to unplanned landings and diversions of flights across Europe this week. An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to Evreux airfield in France and escorted by military aircraft after French authorities received a threat. France’s air force said it dispatched planes as soon as the threat was reported, and the prime minister’s office confirmed that a bomb squad secured the airport and moved 151 passengers and six crew members to safety.
In Bulgaria, three aircraft arriving from Copenhagen and Madrid were instructed to land in Sofia after bomb threats were reported. The Bulgarian transport minister said inspections of the planes found no issues. Spanish authorities also reported three flights at Madrid airport affected by similar threats, though it was unclear whether those flights were among those that landed in Sofia.
Four aircraft bound for Prague received bomb threats, prompting Czech police to conduct pyrotechnic inspections that yielded negative results. The National Centre against Terrorism, Extremism and Cybercrime took over the investigation.
A LOT Polish Airlines flight from Warsaw to Brussels landed safely after the crew performed an onboard inspection following a security warning; no suspicious items were found. A Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw was rerouted to Vienna after a threat, and a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome was escorted to Rome by a fighter jet and examined by bomb-disposal experts.
Earlier in the week, bomb threats forced emergency searches at an airport near Warsaw and led the Italian Air Force to escort a Ryanair plane into Rome. At least seven flights and a cruise ship were affected, but no explosive devices were discovered.
Al Jazeera correspondent Frances Read noted that investigators have not identified the source of the threats and that European authorities are likely to consider them in the broader context of heightened geopolitical tension and recent cyber-attacks and drone incidents in the region.