European Air Travel: False Bomb Threats Force Diversions

A Ryanair jet received an email claiming a bomb was aboard its flight from Lisbon to Rome on Tuesday morning, triggering a security response that included an escort by the Italian Air Force. The aircraft landed safely at Fiumicino airport, where police bomb disposal teams searched the passengers, crew, and baggage. No explosives were found. A second Ryanair flight from Dublin to Rome received a similar alert and underwent the same ground procedures without incident.

The disruptions extended to other carriers and countries. Polish airline LOT diverted a morning flight from London’s Heathrow to Warsaw’s Modlin airport after receiving a threat. The Modlin airport closed temporarily while authorities conducted checks. LOT confirmed that the search was completed and nothing was found on the aircraft. Passengers proceeded through border control and were transported to the main Chopin Airport by coach. Modlin later stated that normal operations had resumed.

A Scandinavian Airlines flight from Copenhagen to Warsaw also received information about a potentially dangerous item. Piotr Rudzki, acting director of the Warsaw Airport’s Communications Office, told the news agency that standard safety procedures were implemented and one runway was closed. Alexandra Lindgren Kaokju, a SAS spokeswoman, stated that the plane landed normally and was not an emergency landing. The airline referred the matter to Polish police.

In southern Spain, officials ruled out explosives on a Ryanair plane from Manchester that landed at Murcia airport. Francisco Lucas, the Spanish government’s delegate in the Murcia region, said the flight carried 121 people, including crew. Passengers and crew underwent security checks, and the aircraft was inspected. No threats were identified.

Bulgarian authorities inspected two aircraft at Sofia International Airport after they received bomb threats while in the air. The planes originated in Bergamo, Italy, and Dublin, Ireland. Transport Minister Georgi Peev said the Specialized Counter-Terrorism Unit inspected both aircraft and found no signs of explosives. Peev noted that the initial information for one threat came from a pilot who received the alert through airline channels. Bulgarian air traffic control followed protocol to land the aircraft safely.

The series of threats followed a similar incident the previous day. A Wizz Air flight departing Luton airport near London diverted to Hungary after a mid-air threat. Hungarian Defense Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi posted that a Gripen fighter jet escorted the flight to Liszt Ferenc International Airport in Budapest. Wizz Air told state news agency MTI that authorities found no threat after inspecting the plane and passengers.

Officials in Bulgaria are still trying to identify the sender of the Tuesday threats. Acting Interior Ministry Secretary General Lyubomir Nikolov told reporters that the investigation was ongoing. The incidents come after a Tel Aviv to Vienna flight made an emergency landing in Bulgaria following a bomb threat last month. No one was injured in the Tuesday disruptions across Europe.

The affected airlines included Ryanair, LOT, Scandinavian Airlines, and Wizz Air. The threats prompted searches, diversions, and military involvement in Italy and Hungary. Authorities in each country confirmed that no explosives were found on board the aircraft. Passengers in Poland were transferred to their final destinations by coach after clearing border control at the diverted airport.