Over a dozen flights across Europe were targeted by bomb threats on Thursday, leading to emergency landings, flight diversions and military escorts. The threats affected flights operated by several airlines, including Ryanair, Finnair, Wizz Air, Aer Lingus and Aegean Airlines.
He added that it was “too early to draw conclusions on whether the reported incidents are linked. Some aircraft were diverted to alternative airports, while others continued to their intended destinations after security checks. Fighter jets from Italy, France and Bulgaria were also deployed to escort aircraft. Police inspected the aircraft and found nothing suspicious before it continued to its destination. “Any threats against civilians are unacceptable. Ensuring the safety and security of citizens remains a priority,” he wrote on X. “We are closely monitoring the situation and are in contact with the affected Member States and the European Aviation Safety Agency. The EU-level information sharing mechanism has been activated related to aviation security. Recent incidents in Europe have included suspected attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems , drone incursions and false emergency alerts sent through mobile apps. European security officials have also warned about an increase in activities such as sabotage, cyberattacks, espionage and drone-related incidents. The alerts led to aircraft inspections, diversions and the temporary closure of an airport in Warsaw. Italian fighter jets were also deployed to escort an aircraft. It made an emergency landing there. Some of the threats were reportedly sent through emails from anonymous addresses. Authorities are investigating the incidents. (With inputs from AP and AFP, Reuters)
On Tuesday, 10 flights across Europe received bomb threats, all of which were later found to be hoaxes, AP reported.
European authorities have said it is too early to establish whether all the threats are connected. European Union transport commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said the bloc was monitoring the incidents in coordination with national authorities. “I have asked the national authoritis that have the responsibility for assessing security threats, investigating incidents and implementing appropriate aviation security measures, to cooperate closely with airport operators, airlines and law enforcement authorities,” the statement read.
Earlier incidents involved airlines such as LOT Polish Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Wizz Air and Ryanair. Some of the major incidents reported on Thursday: A separate threat was also reported against a flight to Warsaw that landed in Vienna. On Monday, a Wizz Air flight travelling from London’s Luton Airport to Sofia was diverted to Budapest, Hungary, after receiving a bomb threat.
Security checks carried out so far have found no explosives or suspicious materials, with authorities describing several threats as hoaxes, news agency AP reported. All the affected aircraft landed safely. This marks the third consecutive day of bomb threats targeting flights in Europe. Flights departing from or travelling to cities such as Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Madrid, Milan, Warsaw, Rome, Sofia and Vienna were among those targeted.
More than 20 such alerts have been reported this week, although their source and motive remain unknown.
