European airlines divert flights after wave of fake bomb threats
Authorities confirmed that inspections of more than a dozen aircraft found no explosives, following a series of hoax alerts across the continent.
By Scott Marshall ·
European aviation authorities coordinated a series of diversions and emergency landings on Thursday in response to bomb threats targeting flights from six different cities. The disruptions affected carriers including Aegean Airlines, Finnair, and Aer Lingus, with origins in Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Madrid, Milan, and Warsaw. Inspections conducted so far have not revealed any hazardous or suspicious materials on board the affected aircraft.
The incidents followed a string of similar hoax threats earlier in the week, which previously forced searches and, in one instance, a military escort. The current wave of alerts comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions and recent reports of disruptive incidents, such as drone incursions and mysterious triggers for public alert applications.
Aegean Airlines confirmed that two of its flights, A3552 from Thessaloniki to Milan and A3860 from Athens to Vienna, were subject to the threats. The airline stated that all security protocols were implemented and that the flights departed for their destinations after officials confirmed the threats were baseless. A company statement noted that the safety of passengers and crew remains the airline's highest priority.
In the United Kingdom, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander described the incidents to broadcasters as malicious hoax threats. She acknowledged that a small number of flights were disrupted and stated that established processes for handling such threats were followed, though she did not specify the details of those procedures.
An Aer Lingus aircraft originally traveling from Dublin to Rome was rerouted to a military air base in Evreux, western France. The plane sits on the tarmac under an overcast sky, surrounded by metal gates that restrict access to outsiders. A Red Cross vehicle is positioned nearby, but it is currently unclear where the passengers and crew are being held while explosives experts examine the fuselage.
Finnair reported that flights AY1761 to Rome and AY1471 to Vienna both faced unfounded threats but landed safely at their destinations. The airline confirmed that nothing suspicious was found on either plane. The aircraft bound for Rome has been inspected and is scheduled to return to Helsinki, while the Vienna-bound flight will rejoin normal service after its inspection is complete.
Czech police deployed to Prague’s Vaclav Havel Airport after receiving threats regarding four incoming planes. Officers stated that all necessary security measures were activated for the landings. Subsequent searches of the aircraft found no suspicious items, though police did not disclose the original departure points for those specific flights.
