Seven planes diverted across Europe in new wave of bomb threats
Aer Lingus, LOT, and Finnair flights were forced to change course or land early on Thursday morning.
By Christopher Singh ·
Seven passenger aircraft were diverted or landed early across Europe on Thursday morning following a series of suspected bomb threats. The incidents marked the second major disruption of the week for air traffic on the continent.
The French government confirmed that an Airbus A320 flying from Dublin to Rome changed its route near Paris. The plane declared an in-flight emergency and circled over the Evreux area before landing safely at Evreux airbase. The location is approximately 100 kilometers west of Paris. Rome's Fiumicino Airport closed temporarily during the alert.
Within an hour of the French incident, six additional planes were affected. Bulgarian officials reported that three aircraft landed at domestic airports after receiving threats. Two planes, originating from Copenhagen and Madrid, arrived in Sofia. A third aircraft from London landed in Plovdiv.
In Belgium, a LOT flight from Warsaw landed at Brussels Airport following a suspicious report. Airport representatives stated that no extra security measures were needed after the arrival. In Italy, a Finnair plane from Helsinki was escorted by the Italian air force to Rome. A separate Finnair flight, operated by Jettime, landed normally in Vienna after receiving a similar warning.
The current disruptions mirror events from Tuesday. On that day, at least seven flights and a cruise ship received bomb threats. No devices were found during those earlier checks. European officials have recently accused Russia and Iran of conducting hybrid attacks and sabotage. Both Moscow and Tehran have denied the allegations.
Unidentified hackers also targeted refrigerators in supermarkets across several European countries this week. Some experts suggest the hoax threats align with a pattern of low-cost, deniable disruption efforts.
No country has publicly blamed a specific actor for Thursday's threats. The incidents added to a week of logistical challenges for European aviation and ground transport.
