Dozen European flights forced to divert after new wave of bomb threats

More than a dozen commercial flights across Europe faced bomb threats on Thursday, forcing emergency landings and military escorts in France, Italy, and Bulgaria. British Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told broadcasters that the incidents were malicious hoaxes. She noted that these events followed another rush of similar false alarms earlier in the week.

The threats targeted planes originating from or bound for Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Madrid, Milan, and Warsaw. Most aircraft diverted to alternate airports for safety checks, while others landed at their intended destinations. Inspections so far have not revealed hazardous or suspicious materials on the affected planes.

In France, an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a military base in Evreux, Normandy. Italian authorities alerted the French government to the threat, and a French warplane escorted the aircraft to the base. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's office confirmed that all 151 passengers and six crew members were safe. Military bomb disposal teams examined the plane, and passengers were questioned in groups of ten inside the airport.

Hours later, the aircraft sat on the tarmac with Red Cross vehicles nearby. Explosives experts with dogs continued to examine the plane. French aviation security authorities opened an investigation into the incident. The diversion occurred despite the flight having already entered French airspace.

In Italy, air force fighter jets escorted a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome after an email threat was received. The plane landed safely at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport around 9:30 a.m. Police bomb disposal experts found no explosive materials during their inspection. Finnair stated that two of its flights faced unfounded hoax scares. One aircraft, AY1761, was cleared to return to Helsinki.

A second Finnair flight operated by Jettime, traveling from Helsinki to Vienna, also landed safely. The airline said the plane was expected to return to service after inspections were completed. In Greece, Aegean Airlines confirmed that two flights, one from Thessaloniki to Milan and another from Athens to Vienna, received threats that proved to be hoaxes. The airline said security protocols were implemented and both flights departed after the threats were declared baseless.

Czech police searched four planes that landed in Prague after being targeted by threats. Officers found nothing suspicious and noted they took precautions despite not viewing the threats as credible. In Poland, a LOT Polish Airlines flight from Warsaw to Brussels landed and was inspected with no hazards found. Another LOT flight departing for Paris from Warsaw Chopin Airport was checked, leading to the temporary closure of one runway for standard security procedures.

In Bulgaria, three Ryanair flights bound for Sofia made emergency landings. Two flights, from Copenhagen and Madrid, landed at Sofia's Vasil Levski Airport. A third flight from London Stansted diverted to Plovdiv, the country's second-largest city. The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense said fighter jets escorted the three planes through national airspace.

European Union Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said any threats against civilians are unacceptable. He stated that the EU executive branch is in contact with affected member states. Tzitzikostas told reporters in Dublin that it is too early to determine if the incidents are linked. He added that an EU information-sharing mechanism on aviation security was activated, but officials do not yet know if a cyberattack is involved.