By Islam El-Sakka
Bomb threats forced multiple emergency landings across Europe on Thursday, the latest in a series of hoax threats that have disrupted aviation across the continent.
Multiple flights diverted
Flights originating from London, Dublin, Madrid, Copenhagen, and Helsinki were diverted to airports in France, Bulgaria, and Belgium. Aer Lingus flight EI402 from Dublin to Rome landed safely at Évreux airport, 100 km west of Paris, as a security precaution. A LOT Polish Airlines flight landed at Brussels' Zaventem airport, while a Finnair plane from Helsinki was escorted to Rome by the Italian air force.
Bulgaria sees three emergency landings
Bulgarian officials reported three aircraft making emergency landings due to bomb threats. Planes from Copenhagen and Madrid landed in Sofia, and a flight from London landed in Plovdiv, according to local media.
Pattern of hybrid threats
The incidents follow Tuesday's wave of at least seven flight threats and a cruise ship threat, which caused widespread airport disruption. No explosive devices were found in any of the cases. European officials have blamed Russia and Iran for what they describe as hybrid attacks and sabotage, though both nations deny involvement.
Cyber attacks on infrastructure
The bomb threats come amid cyber attacks this week that disabled supermarket refrigeration systems in several European countries. Sarah Cleveland, senior director at cybersecurity firm ExtraHop, said the attacks raise the possibility that nation-states are probing ways to disrupt cooling systems that sustain military bases and critical personnel. She warned that attackers recognize the fragility of supply chains.
