Bomb threats cause flight disruptions across Europe

A string of bomb threats has disrupted passenger flights across Europe in recent days, forcing diversions, emergency landings and security sweeps, though no explosives have been found so far.

Here is a list of flights affected by bomb threats in recent days.

Aer Lingus

An Airbus A320 flying from Dublin to Rome was diverted to the Evreux air base in northern France on November 5 following a bomb alert, the French prime minister’s office said.

All 151 passengers and 6 crew members were moved to safety and bomb disposal teams were working on the aircraft.

Austrian Airlines

An Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna diverted to Sofia on October 18 after a reported bomb threat while over Romania, Bulgaria’s transport ministry said.

A Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 escorted the Airbus A320, which landed about 30 minutes after the alert was raised, and passengers were evacuated. The airline confirmed a threat was made and said 51 passengers and 6 crew were on board. The security search found no threat and the flight later continued to Vienna with all passengers.

Finnair

A threat was made against a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome and it was escorted to Rome by Italian air force units on November 5, ANSA reported. An airline spokesperson said the plane landed as normal.

On the same day, a Jettime-operated flight from Helsinki landed safely in Vienna after receiving a bomb threat, a Finnair spokesperson said.

LOT Polish Airlines

On November 5, a LOT flight from Warsaw landed safely in Brussels following a bomb alert, a source at Belgian police said, confirming local reports. No suspicious items were found during inspections, a LOT spokesperson said.

A Warsaw-Paris flight was stopped on the same day while taxiing and directed to a designated parking stand after a report of a potential security threat. The aircraft and luggage were inspected and no dangerous items were found, a spokesperson told Polish news agency PAP. The flight was continued with a different aircraft.

On November 3, a flight from London made an unscheduled landing at Warsaw-Modlin airport and air operations were temporarily suspended after a threat. The aircraft was checked while passengers and crew waited in the arrivals hall.

Ryanair

Four Ryanair flights were affected by bomb threats on November 3, prompting searches in Italy, Spain and Bulgaria.

Two flights, from Lisbon and Dublin, were searched at Rome’s Fiumicino airport after “potential bomb threats”, airport operator ADR said. The planes, luggage, passengers and crew went through searches and bomb sweeps, and ADR said the alert was cleared with no threat to the airport itself and other flights unaffected.

In Spain, Murcia airport activated a security protocol after an alert on a flight from Manchester, government delegate Francisco Lucas said on X. All people on board disembarked and underwent security checks while security forces inspected the aircraft.

A Dublin-Sofia flight landed safely with 185 passengers on board after a threat was made against it, Bulgaria’s transport ministry told Reuters. No explosive devices were found during an inspection.

SAS Scandinavian Airlines

On November 3, a bomb threat was reported on an SAS flight from Copenhagen to Warsaw, which landed at Warsaw-Chopin airport and was checked, an airport spokesperson said. SAS said the aircraft landed safely and passengers disembarked. Polish authorities said the threat was not confirmed. The airport continued operations.

Wizz Air

On November 5, Romania’s intelligence agency said a Wizz Air flight from Milan to Bucharest received a bomb threat, but landed safely at its destination.

A flight from Milan/Bergamo to Sofia was the target of a threat on November 3, Bulgaria’s transport ministry said. The plane landed safely with 176 passengers on board and no explosive devices were found during inspection.

Another Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia diverted to Budapest on November 2 after a threat, the defence minister said. A Hungarian Gripen fighter was scrambled to escort the aircraft.