Europe Bomb Alerts Divert 27 Flights to Airports Across Three Countries
Hoax bomb alerts disrupted at least 27 passenger flights across Europe on Thursday, forcing some aircraft to land unexpectedly in France, Bulgaria and Belgium while fighter jets escorted or intercepted others.
The incidents affected routes from Dublin, Copenhagen, Madrid and London, among others. The flights landed safely, but the alerts mark a second wave of threats targeting European air travel this week.
Flights diverted or escorted
Aer Lingus flight EI402, travelling from Dublin to Rome, diverted to Évreux, about 100 kilometres west of Paris. The airline said the aircraft landed safely as a security precaution.
In Bulgaria, three aircraft made emergency landings after bomb alerts. Flights from Copenhagen and Madrid landed in Sofia, while a plane from London went to Plovdiv. Belgian media reported that a Polish LOT aircraft was forced to land at Brussels Airport.
A Finnair flight from Helsinki reached Rome under escort from the Italian air force. Other aircraft were escorted or intercepted by fighter jets. No injuries among passengers or crew were reported in the material describing the incidents.
The alerts were treated as hoaxes. Authorities have not publicly attributed responsibility, and the reported details do not establish who made the threats or what evidence investigators have collected.
A wider pattern of disruption
At least seven flights and a cruise ship also received bomb threats on Tuesday, causing disruption at airports across Europe. No devices were discovered in those incidents, according to the information available on that wave.
The latest alerts come amid accusations by several European officials that Russia has directed sabotage and other “hybrid” operations. Denmark, Poland and Romania, all affected on Thursday, have previously blamed Moscow for such attacks. Germany has accused Russia over an August attack on Leipzig airport. Russia denies involvement; Iran, also linked by Britain to a separate suspected plot against a U.S. air base, has denied any role.
Some security experts have pointed to a possible pattern of inexpensive, deniable disruption. This week, unidentified hackers also shut down supermarket fridges in several European countries. No government has connected those incidents to the flight threats.
For travellers, the immediate effect was diverted routes and emergency landings, with some flights reaching their destinations under military escort. Authorities’ next statements on responsibility, evidence and any further alerts will determine whether the disruption spreads to more routes.
