Europe faces wave of bomb scare disruption to Air travel

At least twenty flights, primarily operated by low-cost carriers, were affected by the alerts throughout the day. All aircraft landed safely, authorities confirmed.

In France, two fighter jets escorted an Aer Lingus flight traveling from Dublin to Rome to Normandy after Italian authorities issued an alert. The pilot reportedly refused to land at Evreux military base, preferring a civilian airport, leading French authorities to launch an investigation. The Airbus A320, carrying 151 passengers, ultimately landed safely. Finnair flights from Helsinki to Rome and Vienna were also targeted, with the Rome-bound flight escorted by Italian fighter jets to Fiumicino airport. Finnair stated that nothing unusual was found.

Natalia Lobo, a Brazilian national at Rome’s airport, commented, “It’s very concerning, we are very worried about the security in Europe in general. But it’s okay, I think everything is under control. I feel safe to take the plane, I think the security services are managing everything.”

A Wizz Air flight from Milan Malpensa to Warsaw diverted to Vienna, Austria, and a LOT flight from Warsaw to Brussels also received an alert.

The threats appear to be part of a series of hybrid attacks across Europe, potentially linked to Russia or Iran, according to authorities and researchers. European Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas stated, “Any threat against civilians is unacceptable,” adding it was too early to determine if the incidents were connected.

In the Czech Republic, Prague Airport received email threats from anonymous addresses. Rome’s airport also received an email alert concerning the Helsinki-Rome and Dublin-Rome flights, signed by a group calling itself “Male State Fighters,” a Russian extremist group. The message, written in Italian, threatened annihilation and referenced a “feminist regime” and warned of an explosion within 60 minutes. The authenticity of the message and the group’s involvement remains unconfirmed.

Similar incidents occurred earlier in the week: a Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Sofia was diverted Monday, and around ten commercial flights were targeted Tuesday. All aircraft were inspected upon landing, with no suspicious devices found.

Air France-KLM CEO Benjamin Smith commented, “I don’t think we’ve seen this before, but today, the defense is really in place.”

In Bulgaria, three Ryanair flights were escorted by MiG-29 fighter jets after receiving bomb alerts. Two flights from Madrid and Copenhagen landed in Sofia, while a third from London Stansted was diverted to Plovdiv. No explosives were found.

Three flights linked to Madrid were also targeted, although Aena, the Spanish airport operator, declined to specify the airlines involved or whether Madrid was the departure or arrival city.

Four aircraft landing in Prague between 8:45 AM and 9:30 AM GMT were also targeted, including two Easyjet flights from Glasgow and Newcastle, a Ryanair flight from Dublin, and a Sky Express flight from Athens. Police confirmed that explosive device checks were negative and the National Center for Counter-Terrorism is investigating.