By Salma El-Sakka
A wave of bomb scares across Europe prompted searches of at least seven passenger aircraft on Tuesday, grounding flights and causing unplanned diversions. Authorities in Italy, Spain, Poland, and Bulgaria responded to anonymous threats targeting commercial airliners, with all incidents ultimately resolved without explosives found.
Multiple flights targeted
Two Ryanair flights from Lisbon and Dublin were forced to make emergency landings at Rome Fiumicino airport after anonymous tips about potential bombs, sources at the airport told the BBC. A third Ryanair flight from Manchester to Murcia in Spain also received a threat, but Spanish officials later declared it a hoax after searches found no explosives.
Diversions in Poland and Bulgaria
A flight from London Heathrow to Poland diverted to Warsaw-Modlin airport, where bomb disposal teams inspected the aircraft carrying 181 people. The airport temporarily closed before resuming operations. Separately, an SAS flight from Copenhagen to Warsaw landed as scheduled at Chopin Airport after a bomb scare; no device was found.
Bulgaria's transport ministry reported threats against two flights bound for Sofia: a Wizz Air flight from Bergamo, Italy, carrying 176 passengers, and a Ryanair flight from Dublin with 185 passengers. Both landed safely and were cleared after inspections. Additionally, a Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Sofia had been diverted to Budapest the previous day over a similar threat that proved false.
Authorities respond
The UK Civil Aviation Authority acknowledged awareness of the threats on flights departing from Britain but declined to comment on specific incidents. Warsaw Modlin airport spokesperson Adam Szabłowski confirmed the Heathrow-originating plane was directed to a designated area until bomb disposal experts completed checks.
Context of hybrid threats
While no group has claimed responsibility, the incidents reflect growing European concerns about hybrid threats to infrastructure amid heightened security tensions since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. German authorities previously accused Russia of responsibility for an explosive-laden drone found near a Ukrainian plane at Leipzig/Halle airport in August, a charge Moscow denies.
