A morning of alerts from Dublin to Bucharest
Alerts began arriving early on Thursday and spread quickly. Aer Lingus flight EI402, bound from Dublin to Rome, turned near Paris and landed at a French Air Force base, where all 151 passengers and six crew left the aircraft while bomb disposal specialists examined it, according to the airline and the office of French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu.[S2]
Two Finnair flights from Helsinki were also targeted. AY1761, carrying 144 passengers and seven crew to Rome, was escorted into the Italian capital by Italian Air Force jets, while AY1471, with 177 passengers and six crew aboard, headed for Vienna. The airline said both landed safely and that everyone disembarked.[S1][S2]
In Italy, the operator of Rome's Fiumicino airport, ADR, said checks on the Finnair aircraft produced no findings and that normal operations were unaffected. Ansa, citing police sources, reported that the warnings for the Helsinki-Rome and Dublin-Rome services arrived in an anonymous email in Italian sent early on Thursday to ADR and affiliated companies under the subject line segnalazione minaccia, meaning threat warning.[S1]
Ryanair, Wizz Air and LOT flights diverted or searched
Bulgaria's transport ministry said three Ryanair aircraft flying to Sofia from Madrid, Copenhagen and London were hit by a bomb threat. The Madrid and Copenhagen flights continued to Sofia, while the London Stansted service was sent to Plovdiv. Inspections after landing found nothing, the ministry said, and the airline arranged onward transport for passengers from Plovdiv. Operations at both airports returned to normal.[S1][S2]
Wizz Air confirmed that its Milan Malpensa to Warsaw flight diverted to Vienna after a threat was received during the flight. The carrier said it was cooperating with authorities and stressed that it was not the only airline affected. Romanian media, quoting the country's intelligence services, reported that a Wizz Air service from Milan to Bucharest was also involved, and that the aircraft that landed in Bucharest was cleared.[S1][S2]
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LOT Polish Airlines said the crew of flight LO235 from Warsaw to Brussels inspected the cabin after learning of a possible threat and found nothing suspicious. A second inspection by authorities at Brussels Airport also turned up no dangerous items. Polish officials said flight LO331 from Warsaw to Paris was affected by a potential threat, and that searches of passengers and luggage found nothing.[S1][S2]
Prague warnings and a week of similar scares
Czech police said they received reports of an improvised explosive device aboard four aircraft heading for Prague. The force described the threats as low in credibility but said it was not underestimating them, and that pyrotechnic teams would examine each plane after landing. Security operations were also mounted at airports in Copenhagen and Warsaw, where passengers saw military personnel and sniffer dogs on the tarmac.[S1][S2]
Finnair said it follows a clear procedure for every reported threat and treats each one seriously. The airline noted that other European carriers have faced hoax warnings this week and that such threats are almost always baseless. No explosives have been found so far, and it remains unclear who is sending the warnings or why.[S1][S2]
No country has blamed anyone for the threats. They come as European officials have accused Russia and Iran of hybrid attacks and sabotage, allegations both Moscow and Tehran reject.[S3]
