Aer Lingus and LOT Flights Diverted Amid New Wave of European Bomb Threats

European aviation operations faced fresh disruptions on Thursday morning as seven passenger aircraft were forced to land after receiving suspected bomb threats.

The first incident involved an Airbus A320 operated by Aer Lingus, traveling from Dublin to Rome. French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu’s office confirmed the plane was diverted to Evreux airbase, located approximately 100 kilometers west of Paris. Flight data from Flightradar24 showed the aircraft declaring an in-flight emergency and circling the area before landing. Rome’s Fiumicino Airport briefly closed its operations in response to the alert.

Within an hour of the Aer Lingus diversion, six additional flights were redirected. Bulgarian authorities reported three landings in the country after threats were received. According to local media citing government ministers, two aircraft arrived in Sofia, one from Copenhagen and the other from Madrid. A third plane, which had departed from London, landed in Plovdiv.

In Belgium, a LOT Polish Airlines flight originating in Warsaw landed safely at Brussels Airport after a suspicious report. A source close to the event confirmed the details, aligning with reports from Belgian media. Airport representatives stated that no extra security protocols were needed beyond standard procedures, though the airport did not immediately respond to media inquiries.

Italian authorities managed two separate incidents in Rome. A Finnair jet from Helsinki was escorted by the Italian air force to its scheduled landing. Meanwhile, another Finnair flight, operated by partner Jettime, landed in Vienna as planned after receiving a threat. A spokesperson for the Finnish carrier confirmed the safe arrival.

These events mark the second major wave of such incidents this week. On Tuesday, at least seven flights and a cruise ship were targeted, causing widespread delays across the continent. No explosive devices were found in either round of threats. Officials have not assigned blame, though European leaders have recently accused Russia and Iran of hybrid attacks and sabotage. Both Moscow and Tehran have denied the allegations.

The timing coincides with a series of cyber incidents this week, including hackers disabling refrigerators in supermarkets across several European nations. Some analysts suggest the low-cost, deniable nature of hoax bomb threats fits a pattern of similar disruption efforts.