European flights make emergency landings after fresh wave of bomb threats

Air traffic across Europe experienced a new round of disruptions on Thursday as multiple carriers diverted planes due to reported bomb threats. The incidents followed a series of similar hoax alarms earlier in the week that forced searches and military escorts.

More than a dozen flights originating from Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Madrid, Milan, and Warsaw were confirmed to have received threats. Most of these aircraft landed at alternative airports as a precaution, while others arrived at their original destinations after inspections. Officials stated that no hazardous or suspicious materials were found during the initial checks.

In France, a plane traveling from Dublin to Rome was rerouted to a military air base in Evreux, Normandy. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s office confirmed that all 151 passengers and six crew members were safe. Military bomb disposal teams inspected the aircraft while the government monitored the situation in real time.

Bulgaria handled three Ryanair flights bound for Sofia that required emergency landings. Two planes, one from Copenhagen and one from Madrid, landed safely at Vasil Levski Airport in Sofia. A third flight from London’s Stansted Airport diverted to Plovdiv, the country’s second-largest city. Krassimir Peshev, the CEO of Plovdiv Airport, confirmed the plane landed safely.

In Italy, a Finnair jet from Helsinki to Rome touched down at Leonardo da Vinci airport around 9:30 a.m. Italian air force fighter jets escorted the plane. An airport official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said police bomb disposal experts completed security clearance procedures and found no explosives after an emailed threat was received.

Polish authorities managed threats at Warsaw’s Chopin Airport. A LOT Polish Airlines flight to Brussels landed and cleared inspections. Another LOT flight scheduled to depart for Paris was checked before takeoff, leading to the temporary closure of one runway. Piotr Rudzki, the airport spokesman, said no threat was ultimately identified for the Paris-bound jet. A separate flight to Warsaw landed in Vienna after a mail threat was sent to Polish authorities. Stefan Loidl, a police spokesperson in Lower Austria, said the plane continued to Warsaw after a clear inspection.

The latest events occur amid rising geopolitical tensions and other disruptions, including attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems and drone incursions. Czech police also cleared four planes that landed in Prague after being targeted. Authorities have warned that hybrid threats are common in the current climate.

Earlier this week, flights from carriers including Scandinavian Airlines and Wizz Air faced similar hoax threats. One plane headed for Bulgaria was diverted to Hungary after receiving a warning while in the air. No injuries were reported in any of the incidents this week.