Fighter jet escorts, flight diversions: What we know about Europe’s wave of hoax bomb threats

An email sent to airlines, airport operators and service providers at Rome’s Fiumicino and Milan’s Malpensa airports claimed that devices had been placed on flights from Helsinki and Dublin, threatening they would explode within an hour. The message, which falsely claimed to come from “fighters of the Male State”, adds a possible clue to this week’s wave of hoax threats, but authorities have not confirmed who sent it or whether the incidents are connected.

More than 30 flights across Europe have been disrupted, including at least 27 on Thursday, 5 November, with diversions and fighter jet escorts. All affected aircraft landed safely and security checks found no explosives; Sofia and Milan each recorded six incidents, Rome five and Prague four, while Ryanair had eight reported cases. A cruise ship and at least seven flights were also targeted earlier in the week, and the EU transport commissioner said it was too early to draw conclusions about links between the incidents.