Several flights across Europe were diverted, delayed or escorted by fighter jets on Thursday after airlines received a fresh wave of bomb threats, prompting security checks in multiple countries.
The alerts come amid growing European concerns over what officials describe as hybrid operations and acts of sabotage. Russia and Iran have faced accusations of involvement in such activities, but both governments have rejected the allegations. No country has so far been identified as responsible for Thursday’s threats.
Polish carrier LOT reported two separate security incidents. A flight from Warsaw to Brussels landed safely, and checks found no suspicious objects on board. Another aircraft scheduled to fly to Paris was stopped while taxiing for take-off. Its passengers were transferred to a different plane as a precaution.
In the Czech Republic, police received reports of threats against four aircraft travelling to Prague. Authorities said the warnings were considered to have low credibility but that preparations were being made to inspect the planes after landing.
Bulgaria also dealt with three affected flights. Two aircraft arriving from Copenhagen and Madrid landed in Sofia, the country’s interior minister said, according to broadcaster bTV. A third flight from London was diverted to Plovdiv, local media reported. The government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
An Aer Lingus flight operating between Dublin and Rome was also diverted following a security alert. Flight EI402 landed safely at Evreux airport in France, around 100 km west of Paris. The airline said the decision to change its destination was taken as a precaution.
Two Finnair services were affected as well. An aircraft travelling from Helsinki to Rome was escorted by Italian Air Force jets before landing safely. Another flight from Helsinki, operated by Jettime and bound for Vienna, received a bomb threat but completed its journey and landed normally, the Finnish carrier said.
Italian media separately reported that a Wizz Air flight travelling from Milan to Warsaw was forced to land in Vienna following a bomb threat.
Thursday’s incidents follow a similar wave of alerts on Tuesday, when at least seven flights and a cruise ship received bomb threats, disrupting airport operations across Europe. No explosive devices were found during the subsequent inspections.
The latest threats have also drawn attention to other suspected attempts to disrupt essential services. Unidentified hackers reportedly shut down refrigeration systems at supermarkets in several European countries this week.
Eliran Almog, chief executive of aviation cybersecurity firm Cyviation, said the repeated threats could be aimed at disrupting operations as well as observing how airlines, airports and national authorities respond to security incidents.
“These aviation threats are also occurring in the same period as cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration systems across Europe," Almog said.
Some experts believe hoax bomb threats may be part of a wider pattern of low-cost disruption efforts that are difficult to trace and attribute.
Source: News18