European Aviation: Bomb Threats Force Diversions and Fighter Escorts

European air traffic authorities reported a new series of bomb threats against commercial flights on Friday. This follows a week of similar incidents that have already caused multiple diversions across the continent. Two major broadcasters also received security alerts, indicating the disruptions may be expanding beyond the aviation sector.

Eurocontrol, the European air traffic management organization, tracked 14 threatened flights on Thursday. That figure represented 0.05% of the nearly 26,300 flights in the European network that day. The authority also noted seven threats on Tuesday. No suspicious items were discovered, and no passengers or crew members were injured during these events.

The timeline of this week’s disruptions began with more than two dozen affected flights earlier in the week. Some aircraft were diverted as ground crews scrambled to check for hazards. Authorities have not yet identified the group or state actor behind the threats. One email sent Thursday to Rome airport authorities claimed the sender was an anti-feminist group targeting a feminist regime. Another airport received a message with similar wording, though a direct link between the two senders has not been confirmed.

In Hungary, defense minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi stated that fighter jets escorted three passenger planes through the country’s airspace on Friday. The escorts covered flights from Brussels to Sofia, and from Prague to Cyprus and Romania. In France, Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s office reported four threats against aircraft flying over the country. Those planes landed at Paris Orly Airport, where bomb disposal teams inspected the aircraft. Officials did not specify which flights were affected.

Threats also impacted a Tarom flight from Prague to Bucharest and a Ryanair flight from Lisbon to Rome. A WizzAir plane traveling from Prague to Rome was diverted to Venice after a bomb alert. Passengers evacuated the aircraft after it landed. At Prague's Václav Havel Airport, spokesperson Denisa Hejtmánková said nine flights faced threats. These included departures to the Netherlands, Cyprus, Romania, Italy, and Britain. Czech police stated that security measures had a minimal impact on normal airport operations.

Robert Jordan, research director at the Royal United Services Institute, told the BBC that airlines must treat every threat seriously because they are responsible for passenger safety. He noted that secure messaging apps allow for greater anonymity in sending such alerts. “The risk appetite for airlines is always going to be incredibly low,” Jordan said. Paul Reuter, vice president of the European Cockpit Association, added that pilots review diversion procedures and may carry extra fuel in response to these alerts.

In Ireland, police evacuated the Dublin headquarters of national broadcaster RTE on Friday due to a bomb threat. Live broadcasts were replaced with prerecorded programs until sniffer dogs cleared the building. Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said the incidents show how simple it is to cause disruption through unconventional activities. He announced a security operation for next week when Dublin hosts European Political Community and European Union leader meetings. U.K.-based broadcaster Sky also reported a security threat but remained on air.

Denmark police deployed to Copenhagen airport for a second consecutive day as a precaution. They determined there was no danger to passengers or other people at the facility. Eurocontrol said it is working with airlines, airports, and navigation service providers to mitigate disruption to air traffic flows.