Bomb Threats Disrupt European Flights Over Two Days
Translated & summarized from Hamal by baba
A series of bomb threats disrupted air travel across Europe on Tuesday, affecting six flights and following a similar incident on Monday. Incidents occurred in Italy, Poland, Spain, and Bulgaria, leading to diversions, airport closures, and fighter jet escorts, though no explosives were found. Authorities are investigating the threats, with no immediate links or arrests reported. Separately, a cruise ship carrying 1,400 Israelis was detained in Greece due to a suspicious object report.
The story in 5 lines · by baba
- Seven passenger planes across Europe received bomb threats over two days, causing widespread disruption.
- Flights were diverted, airports temporarily closed, and fighter jets escorted some aircraft.
- No explosives were found on any of the targeted aircraft, and no injuries were reported.
- Incidents occurred in Italy, Poland, Spain, and Bulgaria, with investigations ongoing.
- A cruise ship carrying 1,400 Israelis was detained in Greece due to a suspicious object report.
A wave of bomb threats targeting passenger planes caused alarm across Europe on Tuesday, with six flights receiving warnings of explosives. This follows a similar incident on Monday, bringing the total to seven planes in two days. The threats led to flight diversions, temporary airport closures, and the deployment of special security forces in several countries. In Italy, two fighter jets were scrambled to escort a passenger plane until its landing. So far, no explosives have been found on any of the checked aircraft, and no injuries have been reported.
One notable incident occurred in Italy when two Ryanair flights, one from Lisbon and another from Dublin bound for Rome's Fiumicino Airport, received bomb threats via email. Italian Air Force fighter jets escorted the Dublin flight until its landing. Police bomb squads conducted checks on passengers, crew, and cargo but found nothing suspicious.
Poland dealt with two additional incidents. A LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 737 MAX, carrying 181 people from London Heathrow, was diverted from Warsaw Chopin Airport to the nearby Modlin Airport. Passengers were deplaned, and the airport was temporarily closed for a security sweep, which found no explosives. Simultaneously, a Scandinavian Airlines flight from Copenhagen to Warsaw landed at Warsaw Chopin after a report of a suspicious object. One runway was temporarily closed for inspection, but no explosives were found.
Spain and Bulgaria also experienced threats. A Ryanair flight from Manchester landing in Murcia, Spain, was checked following a bomb threat; 114 passengers and seven crew members underwent security checks, and authorities declared it a false alarm. In Bulgaria, counter-terrorism units were dispatched to Sofia Airport after an emailed threat concerning a flight that arrived from Israel, though airline and flight details were not initially released.
The threat wave began Monday when a Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia was diverted to Budapest due to a mid-flight threat. A Hungarian fighter jet escorted it to landing, but no explosives were found. Authorities have not yet indicated any connection between the threats or reported any arrests, and investigations are ongoing.
Separately, the cruise ship "Crown Iris," carrying approximately 1,400 Israelis, was detained on Tuesday evening at the port of Syros, Greece, following an anonymous report of a suspicious object or potential explosive device in the ship's underwater section. Greek Coast Guard and port authorities are conducting a search with a sniffer dog and a private diver, with an underwater unit expected to join the investigation.
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