Bomb Threats Disrupt European Air Travel: Seven Flights Targeted, No Explosives Found

At least seven flights across Europe were subjected to bomb threats on Tuesday, leading to significant disruptions at several airports. Fortunately, no explosive devices were discovered on any of the aircraft.

The threats specifically targeted flights bound for Warsaw (two flights), Sofia (two flights), Rome (two flights), and Murcia Airport in Spain (one flight). A similar threat had been issued the previous day for a flight heading to Sofia.

One of the airports in Warsaw experienced a temporary closure. According to Reuters, the Italian Air Force provided an escort for one of the flights en route to Rome.

A LOT Polish Airlines flight, which originated from London and was scheduled to land at Warsaw’s Chopin Airport, was diverted to the nearby Modlin Airport. This airport was temporarily closed but subsequently reopened after an inspection of the aircraft revealed no suspicious devices.

In Hungary, Defense Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi announced on Facebook that a Wizz Air flight traveling from London to Sofia was diverted to Budapest Airport due to a bomb threat.

In Murcia, Spain, authorities cordoned off sections of the airport on Tuesday following a report of a bomb on a Ryanair flight arriving from Manchester. Officials later confirmed this report to be a hoax, and the airport resumed normal operations after the aircraft was cleared.

Ryanair has not yet provided an immediate comment on the incident.

At Fiumicino Airport in Rome, two other Ryanair flights, one arriving from Lisbon and another from Dublin, underwent inspections after receiving bomb threats. A source from ADR, the airport’s operator, confirmed that the flight from Dublin was escorted by Italian Air Force jets until landing. The source also noted that while the alert level was raised, the airport continued to operate without affecting other flights.

No group has claimed responsibility for these threats, and authorities have not attributed them to any specific party.