Hoax bomb threats disrupt flights across Europe, with at least seven flights affected

In brief

• False bomb threats this week disrupted flights across Europe, affecting at least seven flights.
• Prague, Sofia and Lisbon were among the airports whose flights received threats, and some planes were diverted or escorted by fighter jets.
• Irish police acted after false threats targeted media outlets in Dublin, while the perpetrators remain unidentified.

Threats hit flights in several countries

False bomb threats against aircraft disrupted flights across Europe on Thursday and Friday, with at least seven flights affected. Authorities in several countries had to divert some planes to other airports, while military jets escorted certain civilian aircraft. (Airija: melagingi grasinimai susprogdinti lėktuvus veikiausiai yra koordinuotos kampanijos dalis – Diena.lt) (Europoje skrydžius trikdo nauji grasinimai susprogdinti – Diena.lt)

Prague and Sofia among targets

Prague Airport said four arriving and five departing flights received threats on Friday. The arrivals came from Denmark, the United Kingdom and two from Spain; departures were bound for the Netherlands, Cyprus, Romania, Italy and the United Kingdom. The airport said operations continued normally despite the threats. (Naujų grasinimų taikiniai – Prahos ir Sofijos oro uostų skrydžiai – Bernardinai.lt)

Bulgaria's transport ministry reported threats against two flights to Sofia that day, one from London Stansted and one from Brussels. Both landed safely.

Portuguese police said a Ryanair flight scheduled to leave Lisbon for Rome on Friday was also targeted.

Ireland and Denmark

Irish authorities said police acted after the national broadcaster RTE, Virgin Media, the Newstalk radio station and The Irish Independent received warnings about explosives. The threats were later found to be false.

Denmark and Portugal also reported new threats against aircraft in the same period. (Danija ir Portugalija praneša apie naujus grasinimus lėktuvams – LRT)

Who is behind it remains unclear

Officials have not identified those responsible. They have not ruled out either isolated individuals or a coordinated campaign. Some reports have pointed suspicion toward Russia, but no evidence has been presented to support that. (Įtarimai krypsta į Rusiją, bet įrodymų nėra: kas slypi už grasinimų lėktuvams Europoje? – LRT) (Melagingi pranešimai apie sprogmenis trikdo Europos aviaciją – žvilgsniai krypsta į Rusiją – LRT) Lithuanian and Hungarian ministers have also declined to call the incidents a coordinated attack. (Lėktuvai vėl sulaukė grasinimų susprogdinti: Europoje paveikta bent 18 skrydžių – LRT)

The threats follow a similar wave of hoaxes earlier in the week. Dozens of commercial flights across Europe have been affected in total.

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