Bomb threats ripple through Europe
A new wave of hoaxes disrupted flights and forced evacuations at broadcasters, though no explosives were found.
By Nadia Rahman ·
Travelers across Europe faced a new round of disruption on Friday as officials reported fresh bomb threats against multiple flights. The incidents followed a busy week of hoaxes that already caused diversions, leaving passengers in airports and pilots managing extra fuel loads. While no one was injured and no suspicious items were found, the frequency of the threats has raised alarms among aviation and security leaders.
European air traffic authority Eurocontrol tracked 14 flights under threat on Thursday, a small fraction of the nearly 26,300 flights in its network. Seven flights faced similar alerts on Tuesday. The data suggests the impact on overall continental traffic remains minimal, yet the operational strain on specific routes is noticeable. Airlines and navigation providers are coordinating closely to manage these interruptions.
In Hungary, defense minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi confirmed that military fighter jets escorted three passenger planes across the country's airspace within an hour. The flights originated in Brussels and Prague and were bound for Sofia, Cyprus, and Romania. Each aircraft received a distinct bomb threat before the jets took to the sky.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's office reported four new threats against aircraft flying over French territory. The planes landed safely at Paris' Orly Airport, where bomb disposal experts conducted inspections. Officials did not specify which routes were affected, but the quick response allowed for a normal return to service.
At Prague's Vaclav Havel Airport, spokesperson Denisa Hejtmánková said nine flights were threatened. These included arrivals from Denmark, Spain, and Britain, and departures to the Netherlands, Cyprus, Romania, Italy, and Britain. Czech police noted that security measures had a minimal impact on normal operations. In Copenhagen, police visited the airport for a second consecutive day as a precaution, assessing that there was no danger to passengers.
The threats also reached the media sector. In Dublin, the headquarters of national broadcaster RTE was evacuated after a bomb alert. Live broadcasts were replaced with pre-recorded programs for several hours until police and sniffer dogs cleared the building. Ireland's police force, An Garda Síochána, is investigating the incident. Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin called the event a demonstration of how simple disruption can undermine normal society.
U.K.-based broadcaster Sky also received a security threat, according to a statement reported by Sky News. The channel remained on air while working with authorities to secure operations. It is not yet clear if the threats to the broadcasters are linked to the airline hoaxes. Authorities have not attributed the wave of incidents to any specific group or state actor, though an email sent to Rome airport authorities purported to come from an anti-feminist group.
