Bomb threats disrupt flights across Europe

Bomb threats disrupted passenger flights across Europe on Thursday, prompting diversions, military escorts and aircraft searches as authorities investigated alerts involving several airlines and countries. The threats affected flights connecting Ireland, Britain, France, Italy, Bulgaria, Poland, Belgium, Finland, Austria and the Czech Republic. Authorities responded through separate national security procedures, with police, airport personnel and military units taking part.

One of the diversions involved Aer Lingus flight EI402, which departed Dublin for Rome but landed at the Évreux military airbase in France after a bomb threat. The Airbus A320 carried 151 passengers and six crew members. French authorities moved all 157 occupants to safety and deployed military bomb-disposal specialists to examine the aircraft. French military aircraft also escorted the passenger jet during the diversion.

In Bulgaria, three Ryanair services originating in Copenhagen, Madrid and London Stansted received threats. The Copenhagen and Madrid flights landed in Sofia, while the Stansted service landed in Plovdiv. Security teams inspected the aircraft as authorities assessed the alerts. Czech police separately reported threats against four aircraft heading to Prague. Officers carried out security checks, and the searches found no explosives.

Several routes serving Italy also featured in the disruption. Al Jazeera reported alerts involving two Milan-bound flights from Greece and Portugal, alongside Wizz Air services operating from Milan to Bucharest and Warsaw. The Milan–Warsaw aircraft diverted to Vienna. The Bucharest-bound service received an alert during its final approach and landed safely at its intended destination, where authorities activated security procedures.

A Finnair service from Helsinki to Rome received an Italian military escort before landing. Another Helsinki departure, bound for Vienna and operated by Jettime, also landed safely following a threat. The incidents illustrated how authorities handled some alerts without redirecting aircraft away from their planned destinations. An airport official explained that staff would remove passengers from an affected aircraft and conduct security checks before allowing the journey to resume.

European Union transport commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas urged caution over suggestions that the incidents formed a coordinated campaign. “It is still too early to draw conclusions about a possible link between the reported incidents,” he said in a statement. Tzitzikostas said national authorities should investigate the threats and work closely with airlines, airport operators and law-enforcement agencies.

The widespread alerts did not amount to a general closure of European airspace, and flights continued to arrive and depart normally at Heathrow during the disruption. The latest incidents followed threats against several flights earlier in the week. Investigations remained under way, with authorities seeking to determine where the warnings originated and whether any connection existed between them. Officials had not identified Russia or any other actor as the source.

Key points

• The bomb threats affected flights across multiple European countries, including Ireland, Britain, France, Italy, and Bulgaria.
• Authorities responded to the threats with separate national security procedures, involving police, airport personnel, and military units.
• The European Union transport commissioner urged caution over suggestions of a coordinated campaign, emphasizing the need for national authorities to investigate the threats.