Bomb Threats Disrupt at Least 27 Flights Across Europe

A third wave of bomb threats against passenger flights disrupted at least 27 journeys across Europe on Thursday, prompting aircraft searches, diversions and delays. No explosives have been found, and authorities have not identified who sent the threats.

The incidents follow smaller waves on Monday and Tuesday. The latest round affected flights in several countries, with some aircraft landing as scheduled and others diverted or held on the ground.

Airlines and airports respond to threats

France's prime minister's office said fighter jets intercepted an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome and escorted it to the military air base at Evreux. The pilot had not cooperated with authorities as expected, officials said, but gave no further explanation.

Bulgaria's air force reported escorting three airliners to the ground. Two Ryanair flights bound for Sofia, from Copenhagen and Madrid, landed as planned; a third, from London, diverted to Plovdiv.

In Spain, the Guardia Civil said it received three emailed threats in less than 20 minutes concerning two Air Europa flights from Madrid to Paris and four incoming Iberia flights from Rome and Milan. Several aircraft at Madrid airport were stopped or returned to their stands. Passengers disembarked while crews inspected the planes.

In Warsaw, airport staff stopped a LOT flight to Paris as it taxied for take-off and moved passengers to another aircraft. A flight from Cork was delayed by 90 minutes after the airport received a threat. Copenhagen police searched two planes.

Other reported incidents included a Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw diverted to Vienna. Two EasyJet flights from Britain, a flight from Ireland and one from Greece received threats before landing as scheduled in Prague. A Finnair flight from Helsinki to Vienna, LOT's Warsaw-to-Brussels service, a Wizz Air flight from Milan to Bucharest and an Air Serbia flight from Belgrade to Bucharest also arrived as planned.

Italian media said two planes landed as planned in Milan. A person familiar with the matter said Italy's air force escorted a Finnair aircraft from Helsinki to its scheduled landing in Rome. The operator of Rome's Fiumicino Airport reported no service disruption.

At the airport, Spanish traveller Lucia Parga said passengers had little choice but to carry on. “It's more complicated with everything that's going on, but what else are we going to do?” she said. “We still have to get around. So, well, we just have to deal with it as best we can.”

Two Finnair flights from Helsinki were among those affected, one bound for Rome and the other for Vienna. A flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to France.

Threats raise questions about coordinated disruption

The repeated alerts have prompted scrutiny of whether the incidents are isolated hoaxes or part of a broader campaign. European officials have accused Russia of orchestrating sabotage and other “hybrid attacks” in recent months, but no country has publicly attributed these flight threats to a specific actor. Denmark, Poland and Romania have previously accused Moscow directly; Germany blamed Russia for an August attack on Leipzig airport. Russia denies involvement. The UK has previously blamed Russia in other cases and linked Iran to a suspected plot against a US air base; Iran also denies involvement.

Eric Schouten, head of aviation security group Dyami, said most countries affected by the flight disruptions support Ukraine. He described the possibility of hybrid warfare as one scenario, citing alleged attacks on railways, supermarkets and blood banks alongside energy, internet and aviation services.

Joji Waites, flight safety director at the British Airline Pilots’ Association, said airline practice is to act on threats when assessors judge them credible. Eliran Almog, chief executive of aviation cybersecurity firm Cyviation, said false alarms can disrupt operations and give attackers a view of how airlines, airports and authorities react.

Almog also pointed to the timing of the aviation threats alongside cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration systems across Europe. This week, unidentified hackers shut down supermarket fridges in several countries for a second time, with French blood banks also affected. Tuesday's earlier wave included threats against at least seven flights and a cruise ship.

For airlines and airports, the immediate cost is operational: inspections, diverted aircraft and passengers forced to wait while each alert is assessed. The unanswered question is whether investigators can connect the recurring threats to a shared source.

ABC/Wires