At least 13 flights were affected across Europe on Thursday as bomb threats disrupted air travel for the third day this week, in the largest such event of the week.
An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome (EI402) was diverted to Évreux airbase west of Paris with 151 passengers and six crew, all safe, and bomb disposal teams on site, French officials said. Three Ryanair flights bound for Sofia made emergency landings after bomb threats: airport officials said two, from Copenhagen and Madrid, landed at Sofia's Vasil Levski Airport, while Plovdiv Airport CEO Krassimir Peshev said the third, from London Stansted, landed at Plovdiv.
A Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome was escorted by Italian Air Force units but "nevertheless has landed as normal", a Finnair spokesperson said. A Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw was diverted to Vienna, and another Wizz flight from Milan to Bucharest landed safely in Bucharest, Romania's intelligence agency said. A Finnair flight from Helsinki to Vienna also received a threat but landed normally, the airline said.
Four planes heading to Prague were affected by bomb threats, Czech police said on X; local media cited a police spokesperson as saying no explosives were found on those planes after landing. Poland's LOT airline said its flight from Warsaw to Brussels landed safely after a security warning, with inspections finding no suspicious items.
The alerts follow bomb threats reported on two earlier days this week. At least seven flights and a cruise ship received bomb threats on Tuesday, disrupting airports across Europe; a Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Sofia was diverted to Budapest on Monday. No devices were discovered in Tuesday's incidents.
French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's office said the Aer Lingus passengers and crew had been moved to a safe place. France's air force said it had dispatched planes "as soon as the threat was reported".
No pattern has emerged around the carriers targeted or routes affected, though some experts said hoax bomb threats could be part of a similar pattern of low-cost, deniable disruption efforts. Bomb threats are rare events and almost always hoaxes; on average, Europe has more than 30,000 flights a day.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The wave of threats is disrupting air travel across multiple countries, causing delays, diversions and military escorts.
- Hoax threats tie up security resources and raise public anxiety about aviation safety.
- The pattern suggests possible coordinated low-cost disruption efforts during a period of geopolitical tension.
Background
This is the third day of bomb threats targeting European flights. Tuesday saw at least seven flights and a cruise ship threatened, and on Monday a Wizz Air flight was diverted to Budapest. All threats so far have been hoaxes. Europe handles more than 30,000 flights a day, and bomb threats are rare.
Key Perspectives
Some experts (as reported by Brisbane Times/AP): said hoax bomb threats could be part of a similar pattern of low-cost, deniable disruption efforts, noting the unusual rise comes amid heightened geopolitical tension and other disruptions like hacking attacks on refrigeration systems and drone incursions.
What to Watch
- Whether a pattern emerges in carriers or routes targeted, which could indicate a coordinated campaign.
- Any arrest or attribution by European authorities investigating the threats.
- Further threats in the coming days and whether they escalate beyond hoaxes.
Checked
12 claims in this story checked against 3 sources: 12 supported.
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- SupportedAt least 13 flights were affected across Europe on Thursday.Just In: “Bomb threats have affected at least 13 flights in Europe today”
- SupportedThis was the largest such event of the week.Just In: “marking the largest such event out of three this week.”
- SupportedThe threats disrupted air travel for the third day this week.Just In: “It was the third day this week in which bomb threats disrupted air traffic over Europe”
- SupportedFour planes heading to Prague were affected by threats, and no explosives were found on them after landing.Just In: “Czech police said on X that four planes heading to Prague were affected by bomb threats. No explosives were found on those planes after landing, local media cited a police spokesperson as saying.”
- SupportedAer Lingus flight EI402 was diverted from Dublin to Rome to Évreux airbase.Just In: “An Airbus A320 plane flying from Dublin to Rome was diverted to an air base at Évreux, France, on Thursday, following a bomb threat.”
- SupportedThe Aer Lingus flight had 151 passengers and six crew, all safe, with bomb-disposal teams examining the plane.Just In: “All 151 passengers and six crew members are safe and military bomb defusal teams are examining the plane, officials said.”
- SupportedThree Ryanair flights bound for Sofia made emergency landings after bomb threats; two landed in Sofia and the third, from London Stansted, landed in Plovdiv.Just In: “three Ryanair flights bound for Sofia, Bulgaria, had to make emergency landings because of bomb threats on board. Two of the flights, one from Copenhagen and the other from Madrid, landed safely at Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport”
- SupportedA Finnair spokesperson said the Helsinki-to-Rome flight “nevertheless has landed as normal”.Latest business news: “A spokesperson for Finnair said the flight "nevertheless has landed as normal".”
- SupportedThe Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw was diverted to Vienna, while another from Milan to Bucharest landed safely in Bucharest.Just In: “The Wizz Air flight was diverted to Vienna. ... Romania's intelligence agency said another Wizz flight from Milan to Bucharest had received a bomb threat but landed safely in Bucharest.”
- SupportedA Finnair flight from Helsinki to Vienna received a threat but landed normally.Just In: “Finnair said its flight from Helsinki to Vienna, operated by Jettime, also received a threat but landed normally in Vienna.”
- SupportedLOT said its Warsaw-to-Brussels flight landed safely after a security warning, and inspections found no suspicious items.Just In: “Poland's LOT airline also said its flight from Warsaw to Brussels landed safely in Brussels after a security warning, but the threat was not confirmed. Crew and security services carried out inspections of the plane and no dangerous or suspicious items were found.”
- SupportedAt least seven flights and a cruise ship received bomb threats on Tuesday, disrupting airports across Europe.Brisbane Times - Latest News: “The latest incidents come after at least seven flights and a cruise ship received bomb threats on Tuesday, causing disruption at airports across Europe”