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Experts say bomb threats disrupting European flights may be linked
Developed over time first seen 1 day ago
At least 32 flights across Europe were disrupted this week by hoax bomb threats, with every incident confirmed as a false alarm. The scale of the disruption has raised concerns that the threats may be linked and intended to disrupt air travel, though authorities have not identified a responsible group or state.
Local reports in Bulgaria and Italy said some threat emails were signed “the fighters of the Male State”, prompting speculation about possible Russian links, but there is no intelligence confirming this. Italy’s defence minister described the incidents as “warfare below the threshold”, which can be difficult to attribute; the affected flights were a small share of the 27,400 scheduled in Europe that day, and Iata urged authorities to trace the threats’ origins.
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- Outlets
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- Left · Centre · Right
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In short
- Hoax bomb threats disrupted at least 32 European flights this week.
- All reported threats were false alarms.
- No group or state has been identified as responsible.
How this story developed
- 18 hours ago Experts added that airlines use a traffic light system to assess threats: red alerts can prompt grounding or diversion, while amber alerts allow extra checks before take-off.
- 1 day ago Further expert analysis described the threats as a potentially linked, chaotic campaign without a clear regional target, warning that disruption and public concern could be intended aims.
- 1 day ago Reports put the disruption at at least 32 flights, all affected incidents having been confirmed as false alarms; speculation about Russian links remained unsubstantiated, and authorities had not identified a source.
- 1 day ago Aviation analysts said the wave of threats across Europe appeared coordinated, though possibly based on hoaxes, and explained that airlines may have to divert or ground flights when a threat seems credible.
- 1 day ago The three Ryanair aircraft were confirmed clear and operations at Sofia and Plovdiv airports returned to normal, with the airline arranging onward transport for passengers diverted to Plovdiv.
- 1 day ago Bulgarian authorities reported that inspections of three Ryanair aircraft following bomb threats found no problems; two flights continued to Sofia, while a London service diverted to Plovdiv.
- New York Post Multiple flights in Europe diverted because of bomb threats
- GB News At least THIRTEEN flights forced into emergency landings over bomb threats as chaos engulfs Europe's skies
- Fox News Multiple flights in Europe diverted because of bomb threats
- France 24 Multiple flights in Europe diverted because of bomb threats after earlier hoaxes
- France 24 Bomb threats cause major flight disruptions across Europe
- Washington Examiner Flights diverted in Europe after multiple bomb threats
- The Guardian Bomb threats disrupt at least 15 flights across Europe, renewing hybrid warfare fears
- The Guardian Experts say bomb threats disrupting European flights may be linked
- Daily Mail 'Bomb scares' at two British airports as hoax threats hit UK flights amid chaos across Europe
Full account
Commercial flights across Europe faced a series of bomb threats on Thursday, prompting diversions, emergency procedures and inspections. Authorities reported that the aircraft landed safely. The reports describe a broad wave of incidents, although they do not give a single, consistently verified total for the number of flights involved.
Three Ryanair services bound for Sofia were affected. The flights from Madrid and Copenhagen continued to the Bulgarian capital, while the service from London Stansted was diverted to Plovdiv. Bulgaria’s transport ministry said inspections of all three aircraft found no problems and airport operations at Sofia and Plovdiv had returned to normal. Passengers from Plovdiv were to be taken by road to Sofia.
Other reported cases included a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome, which landed normally and was searched after a threat, and an Aer Lingus service travelling from Dublin to Rome. The latter diverted to the military air base at Évreux in Normandy. France’s prime minister’s office said its 151 passengers and six crew were safe, with military bomb-disposal teams examining the aircraft. Czech police said four threatened passenger aircraft landed at Prague and were subject to pyrotechnic checks; they reported finding no explosives. A Warsaw-to-Brussels LOT flight was also inspected, with the airline saying no suspicious items were found.
The reports place Thursday’s events amid other recent threats to European flights. One account says earlier scares this week affected services operated by LOT, SAS, Wizz Air and Ryanair, and mentions a previous diversion to Hungary. The coverage also links the incidents to heightened geopolitical concerns, but the material provided does not establish who was responsible. The immediate outcome reported by authorities and airlines was that passengers were safe and searches had not confirmed explosive devices.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
The accounts give different measures of the scale. One describes several incidents and names particular flights; another says at least 15 aircraft were affected, including flights to Italy, Prague, Brussels and Vienna. That wider tally and the full list are not corroborated by the other supplied reports.
The reports vary in how they describe the Ryanair flights to Bulgaria: some call them emergency landings, while the transport ministry says the Madrid and Copenhagen services continued to Sofia and only the Stansted service diverted to Plovdiv.
Coverage of the Dublin-to-Rome flight differs in emphasis. One report focuses on its diversion to a French military base and the passengers and crew; another highlights fighter-jet activity and places it among a wider set of threatened flights.
The reports also differ in their framing of responsibility. One situates the threats amid broader geopolitical tensions, while another relays speculation about Russian involvement and earlier official claims that previous scares were malicious hoaxes. Neither establishes responsibility for Thursday’s incidents.
Left-leaning outlets 2
- Experts say bomb threats disrupting European flights may be linkedThe Guardian
- Bomb threats disrupt at least 15 flights across Europe, renewing hybrid warfare fearsThe Guardian
Only here: experts, disrupting, european, linked, disrupt
Centre outlets 2
- Multiple flights in Europe diverted because of bomb threats after earlier hoaxesFrance 24
- Bomb threats cause major flight disruptions across EuropeFrance 24
Only here: earlier, hoaxes, cause, major, flight
Right-leaning outlets 5
- Multiple flights in Europe diverted because of bomb threatsNew York Post
- At least THIRTEEN flights forced into emergency landings over bomb threats as chaos engulfs Europe's skiesGB News
- Multiple flights in Europe diverted because of bomb threatsFox News
- Flights diverted in Europe after multiple bomb threatsWashington Examiner
Only here: chaos, thirteen, forced, emergency, landings
Every side used: bomb, threats, flights, across, europe
Headline columns compared word for word; nothing in them is AI-written.
Explained simply
Ryanair is a low-cost airline that operates flights between cities across Europe. Sofia is Bulgaria’s capital and main airport, while Plovdiv is another Bulgarian city with an airport that can receive diverted flights.
When a plane receives a bomb threat, authorities may direct it to land elsewhere so it can be checked. Such threats can disrupt passengers’ journeys and airport operations, even when inspections find no danger.
The reported incidents are part of a wider series of threats to commercial flights in Europe, including a Wizz Air flight diverted from Milan to Vienna while travelling to Warsaw. Airlines, airport staff and national authorities are involved in responding to these alerts and helping passengers continue their journeys.
Coverage · 9 sources
Bias meters
From 9 rated sources.
- The GuardianLeftExperts say bomb threats disrupting European flights may be linked
- New York PostRightMultiple flights in Europe diverted because of bomb threats
- GB NewsRightAt least THIRTEEN flights forced into emergency landings over bomb threats as chaos engulfs Europe's skies
- Fox NewsRightMultiple flights in Europe diverted because of bomb threats
- France 24CentreMultiple flights in Europe diverted because of bomb threats after earlier hoaxes
- France 24CentreBomb threats cause major flight disruptions across Europe
- Washington ExaminerRightFlights diverted in Europe after multiple bomb threats
- The GuardianLeftBomb threats disrupt at least 15 flights across Europe, renewing hybrid warfare fears
- Daily MailRight'Bomb scares' at two British airports as hoax threats hit UK flights amid chaos across Europe
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Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by The Guardian as “Multiple planes diverted amid bomb threats to commercial flights across Europe – live”.