A SERIES of hoax bomb threats targeting flights across Europe has triggered airport disruptions, aircraft searches and military escorts, although no explosives have been found aboard the planes inspected.
Flights operated by LOT Polish Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), Wizz Air and Ryanair were among those affected on Tuesday, with the Italian Air Force scrambling two Eurofighter jets to intercept and escort a passenger aircraft bound for Rome.
The incidents came a day after a Wizz Air flight from London's Luton Airport was diverted to Hungary following a bomb threat received while it was airborne. Authorities found no explosives after inspecting the aircraft and passengers.
AP cited Matthew Borie, co-founder and chief intelligence officer of Osprey Flight Solutions, which advises airlines on security threats, saying the incidents could involve copycat threats, a single individual or group making multiple threats, or state-backed hybrid warfare.
He said the possibility of Russian involvement could not be ruled out, given the focus on Europe, but cautioned that Iranian hybrid warfare was also active in parts of the continent.
Borie said such threats were not new, but were occurring amid heightened geopolitical tensions and other suspected acts of disruption, including cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration systems, drone incursions and false emergency alerts.
He urged travellers not to be alarmed, pointing to coordinated responses by national authorities, including the deployment of fighter jets when necessary.
In Italy, two Ryanair flights bound for Rome from Lisbon and Dublin received bomb threats. Police bomb disposal experts searched passengers, crew, baggage and aircraft but found no explosives.
The Italian Air Force said it had scrambled two Eurofighters to intercept and escort a civilian aircraft from Dublin to Rome Fiumicino Airport following a report of a suspected threat on board.
In Poland, a LOT flight from London's Heathrow Airport to Warsaw was diverted to Modlin Airport, which was temporarily closed. A search found nothing suspicious aboard the aircraft, and normal airport operations later resumed.
Warsaw's Chopin Airport also received a report of a potentially dangerous item aboard an incoming SAS flight from Copenhagen. Passengers disembarked after the aircraft landed normally, while standard security procedures were implemented.
In Spain, authorities ruled out the presence of explosives aboard a Ryanair flight from Manchester after it landed at Murcia Airport. The aircraft, carrying 121 people including crew, was inspected and passengers and crew underwent security checks.
Bulgarian authorities also found no explosives aboard two aircraft arriving at Sofia International Airport from Bergamo, Italy, and Dublin, Ireland, after both received bomb threats while en route.
Meanwhile, Greek authorities were investigating a separate bomb threat against the Crown Iris cruise ship, which was docked at the Aegean island of Syros.
The Panamanian-flagged, Israeli-operated vessel, carrying 940 passengers and 597 crew, was being evacuated as a precaution. An initial search by coast guard officers found no suspicious objects, with further checks planned. - November 4, 2026
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