By Islam El-Sakka
Bomb threats caused diversions and emergency landings for at least 15 flights across Europe on Thursday, renewing concerns about a coordinated campaign to disrupt air travel.
Flights Affected Across Multiple Countries
The warnings affected flights connecting Italy, Ireland, the UK, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Finland, Austria, Denmark, Belgium, Portugal, Greece and Czechia. Airlines targeted included Ryanair, Aer Lingus, Wizz Air, Finnair and LOT. All aircraft landed safely and initial searches found no suspicious devices.
Emergency Landings and Diversions
Two Ryanair flights from Copenhagen and Madrid made emergency landings in Sofia, while a London-Sofia flight diverted to Plovdiv. Bulgarian authorities said inspections found no issues and airport operations returned to normal. An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a military airbase in northern France. A Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw diverted to Vienna, and two flights to Milan’s Malpensa airport were searched on arrival.
Further Disruptions and Official Responses
Other affected flights included a LOT Polish Airlines service from Warsaw to Brussels, two Finnair flights from Helsinki to Rome and Vienna, and four flights to Prague. Czech police said security checks at Prague airport yielded negative results. Finnair described the threats against its flights as unfounded hoaxes.
Hybrid Warfare Speculation
The disruptions follow cyber-attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems earlier this week. Some analysts speculate the bomb threats, along with drone incursions and triggered app alerts, form part of a hybrid campaign to unsettle Europe, possibly linked to Iran, Russia or other state actors. The Kremlin dismissed accusations of involvement as absurd.
Expert Assessment of Threat Patterns
Aviation experts note that while fake threats occur daily, the volume of credible-seeming alerts suggests coordination. Former pilot Martin Drake explained airlines assess threats on a traffic-light scale, with diversions ordered for the most serious warnings. Analyst Rhys Jones said the campaign appears chaotic with no specific region targeted, but could normalize threats and weaken future security responses.
