European flights face new round of bomb threats
Airlines across the continent reported multiple security alerts on Friday, adding to a week of disruptions that included drone sightings and supermarket outages.
By Alyssa Parker ·
European aviation authorities reported a new series of bomb threats against commercial flights on Friday, continuing a week of security disruptions across the region.
The alerts followed a string of hoaxes that caused diversions earlier in the week. While no suspicious items have been found and no passengers have been injured, the threats have prompted heightened security measures at several major airports.
Eurocontrol, the European air traffic authority, stated it was aware of bomb threats targeting 14 flights on Thursday. That figure represented just 0.05 percent of the nearly 26,300 flights operating across the European network that day. The authority also tracked seven threats on Tuesday.
In Hungary, defense minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi said fighter jets escorted three passenger planes through the country's airspace on Friday. The military response occurred within an hour after each aircraft received a threat. The affected flights originated in Brussels, Prague, and were bound for Sofia, Cyprus, and Romania.
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's office confirmed that four bomb threats were made against aircraft flying over France. The planes landed safely at Paris Orly Airport, where bomb disposal teams conducted inspections. The office did not identify the specific flights involved.
Other affected routes included a Tarom flight from Prague to Bucharest and a Ryanair service from Lisbon to Rome. A WizzAir flight from Prague to Rome was diverted to Venice, and passengers evacuated the aircraft after it landed. At Prague's Václav Havel Airport, spokesperson Denisa Hejtmánková said nine flights were threatened. Czech police reported that security measures had a minimal impact on normal operations.
In Denmark, police deployed to Copenhagen airport for a second consecutive day as a precaution. Authorities deemed there was no danger to passengers or staff. In Ireland, the Dublin headquarters of national broadcaster RTE was evacuated due to a bomb threat. Staff returned after police with sniffer dogs searched the building. Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin called the incident an illustration of how simple it is to cause disruption through unconventional activities.
Authorities have not attributed the threats to any specific group or state actor. An email reviewed by The Associated Press purported to come from an anti-feminist group targeting a 'feminist regime.' Paul Reuter, vice president of the European Cockpit Association, said pilots are prepared to respond professionally and called the use of civil aviation for geopolitical disruption totally unacceptable.
