Hoax bomb threats hit seven flights across Europe; no explosives found

LONDON: Seven passenger flights across Europe were searched or diverted to other airports on Tuesday after bomb threats. All aircraft landed safely and no explosives were found anywhere.

The British government called the threats “malicious lies”. According to a source at the Department for Transport, the low-level threats were not credible and passengers should not be alarmed. The affected flights included two departing from Heathrow and Manchester.

Polish authorities confirmed that threats were received about two flights bound for the capital, Warsaw. Modlin, one of the city’s two main airports, was closed for a time after a diverted aircraft landed there. In Italy, a Ryanair plane arriving from Dublin was escorted to Rome by fighter jets. It landed safely and nothing suspicious was found.

The threats concerned flights departing from Britain, Ireland, Denmark, Portugal and Italy and landing in Poland, Spain, Italy and Bulgaria. Four of the flights were Ryanair’s, while the rest were operated by Wizz Air, LOT and SAS. No clear link between the incidents has emerged.

Investigators said there was no immediate evidence of Terrorism activity or of the involvement of a hostile state. However, the situation is being monitored and information is being shared across Europe. Earlier, on Monday, a flight from Britain to Bulgaria was also diverted over an apparently baseless threat.

According to Philip Baum, visiting professor of aviation security at Coventry University, fake threats are received every day and are often made as a joke or to delay a flight. He said terrorist groups do not give advance warning but claim responsibility after an attack. However, the diversion of some aircraft indicates that the threats were considered specific and credible.