Bomb Threats Disrupt European Aviation; Authorities Investigate

A wave of nearly 30 bomb threats disrupted European air travel on Thursday, forcing diversions and causing passenger alarm. This follows similar false alarms earlier in the week affecting at least seven flights and a cruise ship. No explosives were found on any of the checked aircraft.

Major airlines including Ryanair, Wizz Air, LOT, Finnair, easyJet, Iberia, KLM, and Air Lingus were impacted. Flights bound for destinations like Prague, Paris, Rome, Brussels, Milan, and Sofia experienced diversions. One dramatic incident involved an Air Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome being rerouted to a French air force base in Avord, with French authorities stating the pilot did not cooperate as expected.

In Bulgaria, fighter jets escorted three passenger planes to landing. A Ryanair flight from London to Sofia was diverted to Plovdiv. In Romania, an intelligence agency reported a bomb threat on a KLM flight to Tel Aviv with a stopover in Bucharest. Spanish police reported three email threats within 20 minutes concerning two Air Europa flights from Madrid to Paris and four Iberia flights arriving from Rome and Milan, leading to aircraft being held.

An email claiming to be from "Male State fighters" was sent to airlines and airport authorities in Rome and Milan, threatening to detonate bombs on incoming flights from Helsinki and Dublin within 60 minutes. Vladislav Pozdnyakov, founder of the now-defunct anti-feminist movement Male State, denied involvement, stating any use of the brand is by others for their own interests. Security experts suggest the threats could be from individuals, copycats, or a more coordinated "hybrid attack," potentially linked to state actors, though no public evidence connects any nation to these specific incidents.

Experts note that while most bomb threats are false, they must be treated as real, causing significant disruptions and costs. Rhys Jones of Osprey Flight Solutions explained that motives can range from political claims to criminal activity or hybrid operations. Georgi Whites of BALPA stated airlines only act on threats assessed as credible. Ben Smith, CEO of Air France-KLM, noted the coordinated nature of the threats but expressed confidence in current security measures. Eliran Almog, CEO of Cyviation, suggested the threats might aim to disrupt operations and test responses, occurring alongside cyberattacks on essential services, potentially eroding public trust.