European airlines divert 12+ flights after new wave of bomb threats
Authorities in France, Finland, and the Czech Republic confirmed landings and inspections on Thursday, finding no hazardous materials despite the disruption.
By Pedro Barnes ·
More than a dozen flights across Europe were diverted or forced to make emergency landings on Thursday following a new series of bomb threats, according to aviation authorities and airline statements. The disruptions follow similar hoax threats earlier this week that also required plane searches and diversions.
The immediate impact was felt in western France, where an Aer Lingus aircraft rerouted from Dublin to Rome landed at a military base in Evreux. The plane remains on the tarmac under high security while explosives experts conduct examinations. Metal gates surround the base, and a Red Cross vehicle is positioned nearby, but passengers and crew are being held in an unspecified location while inspections proceed.
Finnair confirmed that two of its flights faced unfounded threats on Thursday. Flight AY1761, traveling from Helsinki to Rome, and flight AY1471, traveling from Helsinki to Vienna, both landed safely at their intended destinations. The airline stated that customers have disembarked and that inspections found nothing suspicious. The Rome-bound aircraft is scheduled to return to Helsinki, while the Vienna-bound plane will re-enter service after its inspection is complete.
In the Czech Republic, police deployed to Prague’s Vaclav Havel Airport to prepare for the arrival of four aircraft threatened with explosive devices. Security forces activated all necessary measures for the landings. Subsequent searches of the planes found no suspicious items, though police did not specify the origin points of those four flights.
The targeted routes included departures or arrivals in Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Madrid, Milan, and Warsaw. While such threats are not rare, they occur during a period of heightened geopolitical tension. Recent incidents have included attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems, drone incursions, and unexplained triggers on alert apps.
Authorities and airlines describe the latest threats as hoaxes, noting that no hazardous materials were located during the Thursday inspections. The coordinated nature of the diversions suggests a widespread effort to disrupt European air travel, mirroring the pattern seen earlier in the week that included a military escort for one flight.
