By Ahmed Abdelsalam
At least seven flights across Europe were subjected to bomb threats on Tuesday, forcing several planes to divert and prompting the temporary closure of an airport in Poland, in a day of widespread disruption that authorities say underscores how easily agitators can paralyze air travel.
Ryanair and Wizz Air flights targeted
Two Ryanair flights, from Dublin and Lisbon, were searched after anonymous tips; the Dublin flight carried 185 passengers and no explosives were found. A Wizz Air flight from Bergamo to Sofia landed safely with 176 passengers on board after a similar threat.
Poland sees multiple diversions
A LOT flight from London Heathrow to Warsaw was diverted to Warsaw-Modlin airport with 181 people aboard; Modlin airport was briefly closed during the search but reopened after no device was discovered. A Scandinavian SAS flight from Copenhagen to Warsaw landed at Chopin airport as scheduled, and authorities there also reported no device.
Hoax confirmed in Spain
A Ryanair flight from Manchester to Murcia in southern Spain, carrying 114 passengers, was cordoned off after a bomb threat; Spanish officials later confirmed the report was a hoax and the airport resumed normal operations.
Threat on flight from Israel
In Sofia, a plane arriving from Israel was searched by counterterrorism police after a bomb threat was received by email, according to Bulgaria's Interior Ministry.
Previous day's incident in Hungary
The wave of threats follows a Monday incident in which a Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia was diverted to Budapest after a bomb threat; Hungarian defence minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi said fighter jets escorted the aircraft to a safe landing.
