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Orgo-Life the new way to the future Advertising by AdpathwayAt least seven flights, including two from the UK, have been affected by bomb threats, which caused unplanned landings and temporary airport closures.
Two flights to Warsaw, two to Sofia, two to Rome and one to Murcia airport in Spain were subjected to the threats on Tuesday, and another flight to Sofia had been threatened a day earlier.
Warsaw-Modlin Airport temporarily shut after a Tuesday morning flight from Heathrow, operated by Polish airline LOT, was diverted there. It had been due to land at Warsaw-Chopin Airport.
At 9.54am, a bomb threat alert was raised on the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which was carrying 181 people.
The flight landed safely seven minutes later, Warsaw Modlin Airport, which has since reopened, said on its website, and the bomb threat was "cancelled" at 12.21pm.
No suspicious items was found following a security inspection, a spokesperson for LOT Polish Airlines said, adding that passengers were taken to Warsaw Chopin Airport by coach.
A bomb threat was also reported on a Scandinavian Airlines flight from Copenhagen to Warsaw, which landed at Warsaw-Chopin Airport, with the airport later confirming that no device was found.
In another incident, a Ryanair plane from Manchester made an emergency landing at Murcia Airport in southeastern Spain, due to a threat, with 114 passengers and seven crew members leaving the plane.
Francisco Lucas, the Spanish government's delegate in the region, said on X that the Civil Guard ruled out the presence of explosives on the plane after an inspection.
A UK government spokesperson said of the two planes that flew from Britain: "The UK has one of the most robust aviation security systems in the world, with well-tested processes for dealing with any potential threats, as well as malicious hoax threats, like those we've seen today.
"Our world-leading police and intelligence agencies work closely every day to keep us safe, using the tools they have to assess and respond to potential threats."
Bulgarian authorities found no signs of explosives on two aircraft at the Sofia International Airport that had both received bomb threats on Tuesday while en route, Bulgaria's Minister of Transportation Georgi Peev said on Tuesday, according to state news agency BTA.
The two planes, originating in Italy's Bergamo and Dublin, were inspected by officers of the Specialised Counter-Terrorism Unit after landing in Sofia.
The Bergamo flight was operated by Wizz Air and was carrying 176 passengers, while the Dublin flight was operated by Ryanair and had 185 passengers on board.
A Ryanair flight from Lisbon landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on Tuesday morning after an emailed threat of a bomb on board was received, a Fiumicino official with knowledge of the events, said.
An inspection found no explosives on the plane.
There was also a bomb threat reported on another Ryanair flight to Rome from Dublin, with no explosives found, an official said.
It is not known who was behind the threats, but Matthew Borie of Osprey Flight Solutions, which advises airlines on flight threats, said the focus on Europe means "there could be a Russian angle".
"We need to keep in mind, though, that Iranian hybrid warfare is just as active in certain pockets of Europe as well."
Travellers shouldn't be alarmed, he said, pointing to "coordinated response mechanisms" by national authorities - including, at times, the deployment of NATO fighter jets to escort such planes.
The affected flights are:
- A Polish airline LOT flight from Heathrow to Warsaw
- A Scandinavian Airlines flight from Copenhagen to Warsaw
- A Ryanair flight from Manchester to Murcia
- A Wizz Air flight from Bergamo to Sofia
- A Ryanair flight from Dublin to Sofia
- A Ryanair flight from Lisbon to Rome
- A Ryanair flight from Dublin to Rome.
The threats come a day after a Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia was diverted to Budapest airport after receiving a bomb threat.
The affected flights
RYANAIR Two Ryanair flights were searched at Rome’s Fiumicino airport, airport operator ADR said. A flight from Lisbon landed at 0940 CET and a flight from Dublin landed at 1030 CET, the latter escorted by the Italian Air Force until landing. Both aircraft went through security protocols including searches and bomb sweeps of the plane, luggage, passengers and crew. ADR said the alert was cleared, there was no bomb threat to the airport itself, and other flights were not affected. Murcia’s international airport activated a security protocol after a bomb alert was received on a Ryanair flight from Manchester that landed at the airport, Spanish officials said. All 121 people on board, 114 passengers and seven crew, disembarked and underwent security checks while security forces inspected the aircraft to determine whether the threat was real. A bomb threat was made against a Ryanair flight from Dublin to Sofia, Bulgaria’s transport ministry told Reuters. The plane landed safely with 185 passengers on board, and no explosive devices were found during an inspection.
WIZZ AIR A Wizz Air flight from Milan/Bergamo to Sofia was the target of a bomb threat, Bulgaria’s transport ministry told Reuters. The plane landed safely with 176 passengers on board, and no explosive devices were found during an inspection. Another Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia diverted to Budapest on Monday following a bomb threat, Hungary’s defence minister said. A Hungarian Gripen fighter was scrambled to escort the aircraft.
LOT POLISH AIRLINE A LOT Polish Airlines flight from London made an unscheduled landing at Warsaw-Modlin airport after a bomb threat alert, a LOT spokesperson confirmed. Air operations at the airport were suspended and resumed around midday. The aircraft was checked by the relevant services, while passengers and crew waited in the arrivals hall for further decisions.
SAS SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINES A bomb threat was reported on an SAS flight from Copenhagen to Warsaw, which landed at Warsaw-Chopin airport and was checked, a Chopin airport spokesperson said. SAS said the aircraft landed safely and its passengers disembarked. Polish authorities said the threat was not confirmed and the airport continued operations.
AUSTRIAN AIRLINES On 18 October, an Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna diverted to Sofia after a reported bomb threat while over Romania, Bulgaria’s transport ministry said. A Bulgarian air force MiG-29 escorted the Airbus A320, which landed about 30 minutes after the alert was raised, and passengers were evacuated. Austrian Airlines confirmed a threat was made and said 51 passengers and six crew were on board. No injuries were reported. The airline said the security search found no threat, and the flight later continued to Vienna with all its passengers.
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