Bomb Threats Disrupt Flights From Israel and London to Europe
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
Bulgarian authorities investigated a bomb threat against a flight from Israel to Sofia, ultimately deeming it a hoax. Simultaneously, a flight from London carrying Jewish students to Poland was diverted in Poland due to a similar threat. Both incidents are believed to be part of a coordinated series of false alarms affecting European airports, adding to recent security concerns for Israeli airlines.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- A flight from Israel to Sofia, Bulgaria, was investigated for a bomb threat but found to be a hoax.
- A flight from London carrying Jewish students to Poland was diverted in Poland due to a bomb threat.
- Authorities suspect a coordinated series of false bomb threats targeting European airports.
- The incidents follow recent security challenges faced by Israeli airlines.
- Stricter screening rules for flights to Israel were implemented in late October.
Bulgarian security forces were alerted Tuesday to a passenger plane arriving from Israel at Sofia Airport due to an email bomb threat. Special counter-terrorism units conducted thorough searches of the aircraft for explosives. Authorities ultimately dismissed the threat as a hoax, suspecting it was part of a coordinated series of false alarms affecting European airports. While the airline and flight details were not officially released, aviation data suggests the flight was El Al flight 551, which landed in Sofia at 10:45 AM.
Separately, a LOT Polish Airlines flight from London to Warsaw was diverted to Modlin Airport near Warsaw following a bomb threat. The plane carried 181 people, including a group of 16 and 17-year-old Jewish students from a London high school, some of whom were British residents of Israeli nationality. They were en route to a delegation in Poland.
One student's mother told Walla! that passengers were deplaned without their luggage and underwent security checks. They are expected to continue to Warsaw by bus.
In both incidents, local security agencies are investigating the source of the threats, with the prevailing assessment being a coordinated harassment campaign or a series of false alarms impacting air travel across Europe. These events add to recent security challenges faced by Israeli airlines, including stricter passenger screening directives issued in late October following a serious security incident on a Flydubai flight.
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