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Fresh wave of bomb threats forces multiple European flights to divert; no explosives found
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A fresh wave of bomb threats forced several aircraft in European airspace to divert to alternate airports, following a similar series days earlier. An Aer Lingus Airbus A320 flying from Dublin to Rome was diverted to the military airfield at Évreux in Normandy, landing safely with all 151 passengers and six crew reported well; military experts examined the plane. A Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome landed at Rome-Fiumicino escorted by Italian fighter jets, and police explosives experts began security checks. A Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw was diverted to Vienna, where about 200 people were evacuated; Austrian police described the threat as "abstract" and found no danger. Ryanair flights from Copenhagen and Madrid landed in Sofia, while a London-to-Sofia flight diverted to Plovdiv. Czech police reported warnings about improvised explosive devices on four aircraft landing in Prague, but found nothing and rated the threats' relevance as low. No explosives have been found in any case, and there is no indication yet of who is behind the threats.
Source report
Bomb threats have once again forced several aircraft in European airspace to land at alternate airports. Three connections to and from Italy are affected.
Affected Flights
According to current information, the following flights were affected:
- Aer Lingus: Dublin to Rome — diverted to the Évreux military airbase
- Finnair: Helsinki to Rome — landed in Rome
- Wizz Air: Milan to Warsaw — diverted to Vienna
- LOT: Warsaw to Brussels — landed in Brussels
- Ryanair: Copenhagen to Sofia — landed in Sofia
- Ryanair: Madrid to Sofia — landed in Sofia
- Ryanair: London to Sofia — diverted to Plovdiv
What Is Known So Far
An Aer Lingus aircraft was diverted to a military airfield in Normandy. The Airbus A320 was en route from Dublin to Rome, according to the office of French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. It landed safely in Évreux, 100 kilometers west of Paris. All 151 passengers and six crew members are reported to be safe.
Military experts are currently examining the aircraft. The Prime Minister's office stated that the situation is being monitored in real time and that no further information is available at this time. Flight tracking services showed the aircraft approaching Paris when it abruptly deviated from its route, flew several loops, and finally set course for Évreux.
Incidents in Italy and Austria
Incidents also occurred in Italy: following anonymous tips about a suspected bomb alert aboard a Finnair aircraft from Helsinki, which landed at Rome-Fiumicino Airport around 9:30 AM escorted by Italian Air Force fighter jets, police explosives experts initiated the required security checks. These are still ongoing, according to the news agency Ansa.
A Wizz Air flight that departed Milan-Malpensa Airport in the morning was diverted to Vienna due to a bomb threat received during the flight and landed there, according to Ansa. Around 200 people were evacuated as a precaution.
An Austrian police spokesperson confirmed the landing to the German Press Agency (dpa) upon request. An email with a bomb threat had previously been received in Poland. However, no danger was identified in Vienna. The aircraft was reportedly already on its way to Warsaw. The spokesperson described it as an "abstract" threat and referred to similar incidents in the recent past.
Sofia, Copenhagen, and Prague Also Affected
Three aircraft were also forced to make emergency landings due to bomb threats, according to Bulgarian officials. Aircraft from Copenhagen and Madrid landed in Sofia, as the interior minister said in a report by broadcaster bTV. A third aircraft from London touched down in Plovdiv, according to local media reports.
At Copenhagen Airport, threats were made against two flights. However, nothing suspicious was found during the search of the aircraft, police told the news agency Ritzau: "In our assessment, there is or was no danger to passengers or other persons at the airport."
Several bomb threats also disrupted air traffic in Prague. Authorities received warnings about improvised explosive devices aboard four aircraft, the Czech police announced on X. After landing at Václav Havel International Airport, the aircraft are being searched by specialists. Nothing has been found so far, according to the statement. Nevertheless, the relevance of the threats is being classified as low.
Series of Bomb Threats Across Europe
Already on Tuesday, about ten aircraft on intra-European connections had been affected by bomb threats that later turned out to be false. Among those affected were four aircraft of the Irish budget airline Ryanair. All aircraft were able to land safely, and no explosives were found.
An aircraft en route from Dublin to Rome was escorted by the Italian Air Force. Two threats were directed at aircraft of the Danish airline SAS and the Polish airline LOT, both destined for Warsaw. A Warsaw airport was briefly closed. British police reported threats against four aircraft scheduled to depart from or land at London Heathrow, as well as against an aircraft from Manchester.
On Monday, aircraft from Wizz Air and Austrian Airlines had already been diverted due to bomb threats. In no case have explosives been found so far. There is also no indication yet of who is behind the bomb threats.
Reuters/AP/dpa/kami
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Part of this Story
Hoax bomb threats disrupt at least 21 European flights; no explosives found