European Airlines Face New Wave of Bomb Threats After Week of Hoaxes
Fourteen flights were threatened Thursday alone, with military jets escorting aircraft over Hungary as authorities investigate a potential coordinated effort.
By Matthew Collins ·
European air traffic authorities confirmed a new batch of bomb threats against multiple flights on Friday, adding to a series of hoaxes that have disrupted aviation across the continent this week.
Eurocontrol, the European air traffic management organization, reported that it tracked fourteen bomb threats affecting flights on Thursday. This figure represented just 0.05% of the nearly 26,300 flights that operated across the European network that day. The agency also recorded seven threats on Tuesday. Officials stated that no suspicious items were found and no passengers or crew were injured during the incidents.
In Hungary, Defense Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi announced that military fighter jets escorted three separate passenger planes through the country's airspace on Friday. The flights originated from Brussels and were heading to Sofia, Cyprus, and Romania. All three aircraft received threats within one hour of each other. In France, the office of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu confirmed that four new bomb threats were issued against aircraft flying over French territory. Those planes landed safely at Paris' Orly Airport, where bomb disposal teams conducted inspections.
Other affected routes included a Tarom flight from Prague to Bucharest and a Ryanair service from Lisbon to Rome. A WizzAir flight traveling from Prague to Rome was diverted to Venice, and passengers were evacuated upon landing. At Prague's Vaclav Havel Airport, spokesperson Denisa Hejtmánková said nine flights were threatened, including arrivals from Denmark, Spain, and Britain. Czech police noted that security measures had a minimal impact on normal operations. In Copenhagen, police visited the airport for a second consecutive day as a precaution, assessing that there was no danger to those present.
The wave of threats comes amid other recent disruptions in Europe, including attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems and drone incursions. Authorities have not yet identified the group behind the hoaxes. An email sent to airport authorities in Rome on Thursday claimed the threat came from an anti-feminist group targeting a "feminist regime." A similar threat was received at another European airport, though it is unclear if the same sender was responsible.
Paul Reuter, vice president of the European Cockpit Association, said pilots are reviewing procedures and carrying extra fuel to prepare for potential diversions. He described the use of civil aviation for geopolitical disruption as "totally unacceptable." Separately, Irish broadcaster RTE evacuated its Dublin headquarters on Friday after a bomb threat, while UK-based Sky News reported receiving a security threat. Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin warned that a major security operation would be in place next week for European Political Community and EU leader meetings in Dublin.
Eurocontrol said it is monitoring the situation and coordinating with airlines and airports to minimize disruption to air traffic flows.
