European flights face new wave of bomb threats after week of hoaxes
Officials report fresh security alerts across the continent as authorities struggle to identify the source of the coordinated disruptions.
By Nadia Rahman ·
A new series of bomb threats targeting commercial flights and media organizations has emerged across Europe, adding to a week of security disruptions. On Friday, officials in several countries reported alerts that forced flight diversions and security checks, following similar incidents on Tuesday and Thursday. No suspicious items were found, and no injuries were reported, but the frequency of the threats has raised concerns about the stability of European air traffic.
The European air traffic authority, Eurocontrol, stated that it was aware of bomb threats against 14 flights on Thursday. This represented only 0.05 percent of the nearly 26,300 flights operating across the European network that day. The authority noted that seven flights received threats on Tuesday. While the overall disruption to aviation remains minimal, the pattern of alerts has prompted closer monitoring by air traffic controllers and airport staff.
In Hungary, Defense Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi announced that military fighter jets escorted three passenger planes on Friday. The aircraft were traveling from Brussels to Sofia, Prague to Cyprus, and Prague to Romania. In France, the office of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu confirmed that four new threats were made against aircraft flying over French territory. Those planes landed safely at Paris Orly Airport, where bomb disposal teams conducted inspections without finding explosives.
Other affected routes included a Tarom flight from Prague to Bucharest and a Ryanair service from Lisbon to Rome. A WizzAir flight from Prague to Rome was diverted to Venice, and passengers were evacuated after landing. At Prague's Vaclav Havel Airport, spokesperson Denisa Hejtmánková said nine flights were threatened, including arrivals from Denmark, Spain, and Britain. Czech police reported that security measures had a minimal impact on normal operations.
Police in Copenhagen also responded to the airport on Friday for a second consecutive day as a precaution. They assessed that there was no danger to passengers. Authorities have not yet identified the group or state actor behind the threats. One email sent to Rome airport authorities on Thursday claimed to come from an anti-feminist group targeting a feminist regime. It is unclear if this sender is connected to other alerts.
Paul Reuter, vice president of the European Cockpit Association, said pilots are prepared to respond professionally to such events. He noted that crews review diversion procedures and may carry extra fuel, calling the use of civil aviation for geopolitical disruption totally unacceptable. In Ireland, the Dublin headquarters of national broadcaster RTE was evacuated on Friday after a bomb threat. Live broadcasts were replaced with pre-recorded programs until police and sniffer dogs cleared the building.
Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said the threats illustrate how simple it is to cause disruption through unconventional activities. He stated that a very significant security operation would be in place next week when Dublin hosts meetings of the European Political Community and European Union leaders. Separately, U.K.-based broadcaster Sky confirmed it received a security threat and is working with authorities to secure its operations.
