Bomb hoaxes disrupt flights across Europe for a second week

In brief

• Hoax bomb threats have disrupted at least 27 passenger flights across Europe on Thursday.
• Some planes made unplanned landings and fighter jets escorted or intercepted others.
• The threats have spread to Irish media and two European broadcasters, with no explosives found and no government attribution.

Wave of threats hits airlines

On Thursday morning, a run of bomb threats pushed several airliners into unscheduled landings across the continent, extending a string of hoax alerts aimed at flights earlier in the week (Bomb threats cause major flight disruptions across Europe – France 24). Officials counted at least 27 passenger flights affected that day. Some aircraft came down unexpectedly, and fighter jets escorted or intercepted others (New wave of bomb hoaxes hits at least 27 passenger flights across Europe – Devdiscourse) (Europe: Dozens of flights diverted following bomb threats – France 24).

Broadcasters also targeted

By Friday the threats had moved beyond aviation. Several Irish media outlets said they had received bomb threats ('Too early to draw conclusions' as bomb threat hoaxes target European countries – France 24). Two European broadcasters also received security threats the same day, a sign that the campaign could be widening beyond the skies ('Chaos within aviation industry' as European air traffic hit by bomb threats – France 24).

Search for the source

Investigators are trying to determine who sent the warnings. Several European officials have accused Russia of sabotage and so-called hybrid attacks, a category of low-cost, hard-to-attribute operations that rarely prompt a military response. Moscow and Tehran both deny running any such campaign. No government has formally blamed either country for these hoaxes.

Scale of disruption

The incidents have forced diversions, searches and emergency landings, leaving passengers delayed in several countries (Multiple flights in Europe diverted because of bomb threats after earlier hoaxes – France 24). In one case a flight required a military escort. Airlines and airports have had to absorb the cost of searches and rerouting, though no official estimate of those costs has been published so far.

Read also

• Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome diverted to French air base over bomb alert
• Bomb threats hit more than a dozen European flights in one day; no explosives found
• Hoax bomb threats disrupt flights across Europe, with at least seven flights affected