European flights disrupted by coordinated bomb threat alerts

Airlines operating across Europe were forced to divert, land or undergo additional security inspections after a series of bomb threats were reported in 16 countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Denmark and Hungary. Military fighter jets were deployed in several airspaces to escort aircraft, while bomb-disposal teams inspected the planes. So far, inspections have not uncovered any explosive devices or hazardous materials, and no passengers have been injured.

Hungary scrambled jets three times on Friday to escort flights after alerts targeting a WizzAir service from Brussels to Sofia and other routes. In Poland, a Polish Airlines flight to Paris was halted on the runway at Warsaw Chopin Airport, and a LOT flight from London to Warsaw was redirected to Warsaw-Modlin Airport; both searches returned empty results. Similar incidents were reported in Italy, Bulgaria, Spain, Ireland and Denmark, where authorities confirmed that no danger was found.

Joji Waites, director of flight safety, policy and regulation at the British Airlines Pilots’ Association, explained that threat assessments are classified as red (credible), amber (partially credible) or green (not credible). He noted that amber assessments are not used for aircraft already in flight.

Philip Baum, a visiting professor of aviation security at Coventry University, said the coordinated nature of the recent alerts is unusual, adding that each disruption could cost airlines up to $250,000. The European Commission for Transport said it is too early to identify the perpetrators or determine whether the incidents are linked.

European officials have avoided assigning blame, though some governments have expressed concern about possible hybrid attacks. Germany suggested Russia could be involved in recent drone incursions at Leipzig-Halle Airport, a claim Moscow denied. No evidence has been presented linking any state or proxy group to the bomb-threat alerts.