At least 14 passenger flights were affected by bomb threats across Europe on Thursday, Nov. 5, leading to diversions, emergency landings and military escorts. Inspections reported so far found no explosives or suspicious materials.
The incidents involved several airlines and routes. An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome diverted to Évreux air base in France, while a Ryanair flight bound for Sofia landed in Plovdiv. Finnair and Aegean Airlines flights were also among those targeted, according to The Associated Press.
Aegean said two of its flights, A3552 and A3860, received threats that proved unfounded. The airline said the flights resumed operations after checks. Police in Prague also reported that searches of four aircraft arriving there found nothing suspicious.
Authorities have not established whether the threats were connected
Investigators had not identified who sent the threats or determined whether the separate incidents were linked. The European Union’s transport commissioner said it was too early to draw that conclusion, with national investigations underway. The European Commission activated an information-sharing mechanism on aviation security, AP reported.
France opened a security investigation into the Aer Lingus flight diverted to Évreux. The French prime minister’s office said authorities ordered the aircraft to be intercepted because the pilot was not cooperating as expected. That statement does not establish responsibility for the incident.
The reported total for Thursday is separate from other alerts earlier in the week. AFP counted at least 14 flights affected that day and reported more than 20 threats across the week, a broader tally that was not presented as a final official count. AFP reported that airlines were arranging passenger rebooking where needed.
Nicole French