KLM Flight to Tel Aviv Evacuated in Bucharest After Bomb Threat

A KLM flight bound for Tel Aviv was evacuated in Bucharest, Romania, on Tuesday after an anonymous bomb threat was received. The flight, KL461, which originated in Amsterdam, made a stop in Bucharest for a crew change. During the stop, a phone call warned of an explosive device on board, prompting the evacuation of all passengers. Romanian intelligence services (SRI) confirmed the incident, stating that pilots, in consultation with the airline, decided to request a thorough inspection of the aircraft. Authorities are treating the threat as a potential false alarm, as no suspicious items have been found. The resumption of the flight to Israel remains uncertain. KLM has been using Bucharest for crew changes on its Tel Aviv flights since October 24 to avoid overnight stays in Israel for its staff.

This incident is part of a broader wave of bomb threats targeting European aviation in recent days. At least 16 flights have received similar warnings within a single day, leading to diversions, unscheduled landings, and passenger evacuations. One notable incident involved an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome, which declared an emergency and diverted to a French military airbase. The wave of threats began on Monday with a Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia, which was rerouted to Budapest escorted by fighter jets. The following day, seven flights received threats, including a LOT Polish Airlines flight diverted to Modlin Airport near Warsaw. Several other flights were diverted to different Bulgarian airports, and one landed at a French military base. So far, no explosives have been discovered in any of the investigated cases, and the perpetrators behind the threats remain unknown.