Bomb threats force passenger flights to land across Europe

Bomb threats force passenger flights to land throughout Europe. Flights throughout Europe produce unplanned landings due to bomb threats.

Key points

• Italian media documented that a Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw had to land in Vienna due to a bomb threat.
• (Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Gareth Jones).
• Airplanes flying from Copenhagen and Madrid landed safely in Sofia, the interior minister remarked, according to broadcaster bTV.
• A third aircraft, from London, was diverted and landed in Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second-largest city, local media remarked.
• Italy's air force safely escorted a Finnair plane from Helsinki to its scheduled landing in Rome, a person close to the matter remarked.

Airlines throughout Europe received a series of bomb threats, forcing numerous to create unplanned or escorted landings. None have proved to be genuine.

Although none of the threats immediately proved to be genuine, PARIS/ROME/BRUSSELS, Nov 5 (Reuters) – Airlines throughout Europe received a series of bomb threats on Thursday morning for the second time this week, forcing numerous to create unplanned or escorted landings.

While no country has attributed blame for the threats, ⁠they come at a time when European authorities have been blaming both Russia and Iran for what they describe as "hybrid attacks" and acts of sabotage. Moscow and Tehran both deny any such campaign.

After being diverted as a security precaution, the Irish airline remarked in an official note, aer Lingus flight EI402 from Dublin to Rome landed safely on Thursday at Evreux airport, 100 km (62 miles) west of Paris. More: Man detained after making alleged bomb threat on JetBlue flight.

Bulgarian authorities noted three aircraft making emergency landings in the Balkan country since of bomb threats.

Notably, a third aircraft, from London, was diverted and landed in Plovdiv, Bulgaria's second-largest city, local media remarked. The administration did not respond to requests for comment. Czech, Italian, Polish authorities additionally report bomb threats.

Although they assessed the credibility of the threats as low, czech police remarked on X that four airplanes heading to Prague had received bomb threats on Thursday and that authorities were making preparations for the landings.

Italy's air force safely escorted a Finnair plane from Helsinki to its scheduled landing in Rome, a person close to the matter remarked. Another Finnair flight from Helsinki, operated by Jettime, landed as normal in Vienna after receiving a bomb threat, the Finnish carrier remarked.

Polish airline LOT remarked a flight from Warsaw to Brussels had landed safely at its destination after a security warning, and no suspicious items were identified.

It additionally stated a LOT flight to Paris had been halted as it was taxiing towards take-off and that its passengers had then been transferred to another aircraft as a precaution.

Although no devices were discovered, on Tuesday, at least seven flights and a cruise ship received bomb threats, causing disruption at airports throughout Europe.

This week, unidentified hackers shut down fridges in supermarkets in a number of European countries. Some experts remarked hoax bomb threats could be part of a similar pattern of cheap, ⁠deniable disruption efforts.

Eliran Almog, CEO of aviation cybersecurity firm Cyviation, remarked the repeated threats could serve both to disrupt operations and to observe how airlines, airports and national authorities respond.

"These aviation threats are also occurring in the same period as cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration systems across Europe, " Almog remarked.

"Different essential services are experiencing disruption that carries economic costs and can undermine public confidence."

(Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Kevin Liffey; Editing by Gareth Jones). SMS Facebook Twitter Email. Share your feedback to support improve our site! Share your feedback to support improve our site!

Taken together, the developments around bomb threats force passenger flights to land across Europe point to a situation that is still moving, and the coming days should bring more clarity.