A wave of bomb threats disrupted passenger flights across Europe on Thursday, forcing planes to divert, land under military escort, and undergo security checks. No injuries were reported, but the string of alerts deepened concern over a week of hoax threats and rising hybrid-security tensions, reported by Arab News
The first alarm involved an Aer Lingus flight travelling from Dublin to Rome. As it approached Paris, the aircraft abruptly left its route, circled several times, and was diverted to Evreux air base in Normandy, western France. It landed safely with 151 passengers and six crew members aboard. French military bomb-disposal teams were sent to inspect the aircraft, while Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s office said authorities were monitoring the situation in real time.
Elsewhere, a LOT Polish Airlines flight from Warsaw landed safely at Brussels Airport after a suspicious report. Airport spokesperson Ihsane Chioua Lekhli confirmed that authorities had been informed, although no extra security measures were ultimately needed.
In Italy, a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome was escorted by air-force jets to Rome’s Fiumicino Airport after a bomb alert. Another Milan-to-Rome flight was also reported to have received a threat. Czech police said four aircraft facing bomb threats were preparing to land at Prague Airport.
The incidents formed part of a broader pattern. This week, flights operated by LOT, Scandinavian Airlines, Wizz Air, and Ryanair received hoax bomb threats, triggering searches, diversions, and heightened security. A day earlier, a plane bound for Bulgaria was diverted to Hungary after a similar in-flight alert.
No one has been harmed, but the disruption has unsettled travellers and exposed how quickly a single anonymous warning can ripple across European airspace. The threats arrive amid growing concern about hybrid risks: drone incursions, attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems, and unexplained alerts on public warning apps.
Authorities have not said who may be responsible or whether the alerts are connected. For now, airlines, airports, and security services remain on alert proving that in modern Europe, fear can travel almost as fast as a passenger je
