A wave of bomb threats disrupted air travel across Europe on Thursday, forcing multiple airliners to make unplanned landings and divert from their original routes. The incidents followed a similar pattern of threats earlier in the week that had already caused significant delays and closures at airports in the region.
Dublin to Rome Flight Rerouted to France
French authorities confirmed that an airliner traveling from Dublin to Rome was rerouted to France after a suspected bomb threat was reported. The aircraft was escorted by military planes as soon as the threat was identified, according to France’s air force.
The plane was diverted to the Evreux airfield, located west of Paris. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s office stated that a bomb squad was already in place at the airport. All 151 Aer Lingus passengers and six crew members were moved to safety without incident.
Flight-tracking data showed the aircraft turning near Paris and circling over the Evreux area after declaring an in-flight emergency. No group has claimed responsibility for the threat, and officials have not attributed blame to any specific entity.
Multiple Diversions Across the Continent
The incident in France was part of a broader series of disruptions. Approximately 10 flights were targeted by threats on Thursday alone, according to reporting from London. In Bulgaria, local media reported that three aircraft requested emergency landings due to bomb threats. These planes, flying from Copenhagen and Madrid, landed in Sofia.
Czech police said four airplanes heading to Prague received bomb threats. Authorities assessed the credibility of these threats as low but activated all necessary security measures. Police stated that no underestimation of the risk was occurring and that all aircraft would undergo pyrotechnic inspections after landing.
Polish airline LOT reported that flight LO235 from Warsaw to Brussels landed safely at Zaventem airport after a security warning. The crew conducted an onboard inspection and found no suspicious items. Security services at the airport performed an additional check, also finding no dangerous items. Airport spokespeople noted that no additional security measures were necessary.
Wizz Air rerouted a flight from Milan to Warsaw to Vienna after a hoax bomb threat was reported. The airline stated the diversion followed established safety protocols. Finnair also reported threats against two flights. A flight from Helsinki to Rome was escorted to the Italian capital by a fighter jet and checked by bomb disposal experts. Another Finnair flight, operated by Jettime from Helsinki to Vienna, landed normally in Vienna after a threat was reported.
Continued Security Alerts
These events come days after a series of similar threats forced several planes to divert and briefly closed an airport outside Warsaw, Poland. At least seven flights and a cruise shop were affected during that earlier wave, but no devices were discovered. The Italian Air Force had escorted a Ryanair plane into Rome during those previous incidents.
Authorities across Europe continue to monitor the situation closely as security services work to verify the credibility of incoming threats while maintaining operational safety for passengers and crew.
Source: Al Jazeera
