More than a dozen flights across Europe were targeted by bomb threats on Thursday, prompting a series of emergency landings and, in some instances, military escorts. Authorities have found no hazardous materials on any of the aircraft, with one British official describing the incidents as "malicious" hoaxes. These events follow similar threats earlier in the week that caused disruptions and diversions.
While fake bomb threats are not uncommon, the sheer number of incidents in a single day is unusual. The threats come amid heightened geopolitical tensions and warnings from officials that Russia may be escalating hybrid threats across Europe. It remains unclear if this week's threats are connected, who is responsible, or their ultimate objective.
An email containing a threat to planes bound for Rome was reportedly sent on behalf of an anti-feminist group, according to an airport official who spoke on condition of anonymity. Another European airport official indicated that a threat they received also originated from a group identifying as anti-feminist and used similar language. It has not been confirmed if the same group sent both threats.
These disruptions have financial implications, with each flight diversion potentially costing airlines up to $250,000 due to factors like crew duty hour limitations, the need for replacement crews, and passengers missing connections, according to aviation security experts. Military escorts also incur costs, borne by governments.
In one incident, an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a military air base in France after receiving a threat. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's office stated that warplanes were ordered to intercept the aircraft due to the pilot's perceived lack of cooperation with authorities. The flight landed safely, and bomb disposal teams examined the plane.
Italian air force fighter jets escorted a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome after it received a threat via email. Croatian fighter jets initially intercepted the commercial jet before handing it off to the Italian forces. Finnair confirmed two of its flights experienced "unfounded hoax bomb scares."
Three Ryanair flights en route to Sofia, Bulgaria, also experienced emergency landings and received military escorts following bomb threats. Two landed safely in Sofia, while a third was diverted to Plovdiv.
Other incidents included searches of four planes in Prague that yielded no results, a LOT Polish Airlines flight to Brussels that landed safely after inspections, and a Wizz Air flight to Bucharest that was also cleared after a threat. A flight to Warsaw diverted to Vienna after a threat was received by Polish authorities, with no hazardous items found. Air Serbia also reported a hoax threat on a flight to Bucharest.