By Fatma Younis
Multiple flights across Europe were diverted on Thursday following bomb threats, prompting emergency landings and extensive security searches. Authorities said more than a dozen flights from cities including Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Madrid, Milan and Warsaw were targeted, with most diverted to alternate airports. Inspections have so far found no hazardous materials.
Dozens of Flights Targeted
The threats affected carriers such as LOT Polish Airlines, Wizz Air, Finnair, Ryanair and Scandinavian Airlines. A LOT flight from Warsaw to Brussels landed at its destination and was cleared. A Wizz Air flight from Milan to Bucharest landed safely in Bucharest after a threat. A Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome landed at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci airport escorted by Italian air force jets; an emailed bomb threat was received but no explosives were found.
French Military Base Landing
A flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to the Evreux military air base in Normandy, France. Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's office said all 151 passengers and six crew were safe, and military bomb disposal teams examined the aircraft. The plane landed safely and the situation was monitored in real time.
Polish and Austrian Incidents
Polish authorities checked a LOT flight set to depart Warsaw for Paris after a threat at Chopin Airport; one runway was temporarily closed. No threat was identified. In Austria, a flight to Warsaw landed in Vienna after an emailed abstract threat to Polish authorities; nothing was found and the plane continued to Warsaw. Austrian police spokesperson Stefan Loidl said there were also abstract threats concerning four other flights at Vienna Airport, but operations were not disrupted.
Ryanair Flights to Bulgaria
Three Ryanair flights bound for Sofia made emergency landings. Two flights, from Copenhagen and Madrid, landed at Sofia's Vasil Levski Airport. The third, from London Stansted, diverted to Plovdiv Airport, Bulgaria's second-largest city. Plovdiv Airport CEO Krassimir Peshev confirmed the safe landing.
Earlier Hoaxes This Week
Similar hoax bomb threats earlier this week prompted searches, diversions and in one case an Italian air force escort. The flights included LOT, Scandinavian Airlines, Wizz Air and Ryanair. The hoaxes followed a plane headed for Bulgaria being diverted to Hungary after a bomb threat. No injuries were reported in any of the incidents.
