By Salma El-Sakka
Hoax bomb threats disrupted flights across Europe on Wednesday and Thursday, prompting emergency landings and security assessments at major airports including London Heathrow and Birmingham.
Threats assessed as not credible
Both UK airports received threats on Wednesday that were deemed not credible, according to a report in The Times, and operations continued normally. Additional bomb threats forced more emergency landings across Europe on Thursday morning.
Experts warn of copycat hoaxes
David Sutcliffe, senior lecturer in aviation and airport management at the University of Bedfordshire, outlined the safeguarding protocols airports maintain when threats are reported. Marco Chan, senior lecturer in aviation operations at Kingston University, said he would not be surprised if more copycat hoax threats were reported throughout the week.
Sutcliffe emphasized that all threats must be taken seriously once an aircraft is airborne, citing the aviation adage: "It's better to be down here wishing you were up there than it is up there wishing you were down here."
