Wave of hoax bomb threats disrupts over 15 flights across Europe

Berlin, Nov 5 (EFE).- More than 15 flights were affected by a wave of false bomb threats across nine European countries on Thursday, prompting emergency landings, military escorts, passenger evacuations, and extensive security checks, two days after a similar series of alerts disrupted air traffic.

A flight travelling from Dublin to Rome was diverted while flying over French airspace after a bomb threat was reported.

The aircraft landed at Évreux airbase, about 100 km east of Paris, the office of French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed to EFE.

Sources from the prime minister’s office later told French media that the aircraft landed without incident, carrying 151 passengers and six crew members. Bomb disposal teams subsequently inspected the plane.

From France to Italy and Bulgaria

Three Ryanair flights bound for Bulgaria, departing from Madrid, London and Copenhagen, were also targeted by false bomb threats, the Bulgarian Transport Ministry told EFE.

No explosives were found on any of the aircraft, which were escorted by military planes before landing.

The flights from Madrid and Copenhagen landed as scheduled at Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport. The aircraft were moved to isolated areas, where passengers were evacuated, luggage was inspected and the planes searched.

The flight from London was diverted to Plovdiv Airport, about 120 km from Sofia, where the same security procedures were carried out.

Another Ryanair flight traveling from Porto to Milan was also affected by a false bomb threat, according to Italian news agency ANSA.

Finnish airline Finnair confirmed that two flights from Helsinki, one bound for Rome and the other for Vienna, had received bomb threats.

Both aircraft nevertheless landed safely at their destinations.

According to Finnair, flight AY1761, carrying 144 passengers, landed in Rome at 9:27 a.m. local time (8:27 a.m. GMT), escorted by Italian fighter jets.

Local authorities inspected the aircraft but found nothing suspicious.

Flight AY1471 from Helsinki to Vienna, operated by Danish airline Jettime, also landed safely in the Austrian capital.

Meanwhile, a Wizz Air flight traveling from Milan Malpensa to Warsaw made an emergency landing following another bomb threat.

Threats reported in Romania, Czech, Belgium, Greece

Romania’s Intelligence Service said Bucharest’s international airport had been alerted to a bomb threat aboard a Wizz Air flight from Milan carrying 182 passengers and seven crew members.

Passengers were evacuated and a bomb disposal team inspected the aircraft.

In the Czech Republic, four flights bound for Prague that had received bomb threats landed as scheduled in the capital. Police said no suspicious objects had been found.

In Brussels, a Polish LOT passenger aircraft landed safely at Brussels-Zaventem Airport after receiving what authorities described as a «suspicious alert.»

Airport spokesperson Ihsane Chioua Lekhli confirmed the incident to EFE, saying the aircraft had «landed safely» but that «additional measures» had been necessary.

Greek airline Aegean also reported that two of its flights had received separate bomb threats: one traveling from Thessaloniki to Milan and another from Athens to Vienna.

Both aircraft underwent security inspections. After the threats were determined to be false, the flights continued to their destinations and landed without further incident, the airline said.

Airport operations disrupted in Poland and Denmark

Meanwhile, one of the runways at Warsaw’s Chopin Airport was temporarily closed after a LOT aircraft bound for Paris was affected by a possible bomb threat, Piotr Rudzki, spokesperson for Polish Airports, told EFE.

The usual security procedures were implemented, including inspections of the aircraft, passengers and luggage.

However, «the threat has not been confirmed,» Rudzki said, adding that the airport subsequently resumed normal operations.

Copenhagen Airport also reported an incident involving two aircraft that was later identified as a false alarm, according to Danish news agency Ritzau.

The incident prompted the deployment of police and military personnel specializing in explosives disposal. EFE

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