Europeupdated 33m ago2 min read
False Bomb Threats Divert Flights Across Europe, Including Dublin to Rome Aer Lingus
“one aviation expert said he is looking closely at Russia.”
“with a probe underway to determine the origin of the threats affecting all of Europe,”
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Dozens of European flights diverted or disrupted due to false bomb threats; no devices found. Aer Lingus Dublin–Rome flight diverted to France after bomb threat; over 150 passengers.
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False threats across Europe
A wave of false bomb threats swept European airspace, with EL PAÍS saying at least 35 aircraft were affected and that 27 of them were affected on Thursday. The threats triggered diversions and escort operations, and the EL PAÍS account said a Dublin to Rome plane was diverted over French airspace and forced to land at Évreux after two fighters were deployed.
The Global Times account described disruptions across Europe on Thursday, saying three Ryanair flights from Copenhagen, Madrid and London to Sofia received bomb threats before safely landing. The Global Times account also said an Aer Lingus Airbus A320 flying from Dublin to Rome was diverted to the French air base in Evreux and escorted by a French Rafale fighter jet, with all 151 passengers and six crew reported safe.
Who sent the emails
No country blamed anyone for the threats, and EL PAÍS said the wave of false threats came as many European leaders accused Russia of orchestrating sabotage and hybrid attacks.
The email directed at the Rome airfield was signed by Fighters of the Male State and EL PAÍS quoted the message: "Your feminist regime will remember this forever. The explosion will occur in 60 minutes. Today your sky will be red,".
CNN described an Aer Lingus diversion in which air traffic control alerted the crew to a bomb threat reportedly targeting the aircraft, and it quoted the crew message: "The plane is diverting due to a bomb on board threat, relayed to them by air traffic control on the ground."
Prague to Bucharest flight ROT226M sent a squawk code of 7700 before landing safely in Bucharest, and The Guardian said the threat was later confirmed to be unproven.
Security burden and response
The EL PAÍS account said an AEA spokesperson assessed the immediate security threat posed by individual false alerts as "low," while noting that the higher number of diversions represented an additional burden for air transport. The European Commission announced the activation of an information-exchange mechanism among EU member states and Apostolos Tzitzikostas said, "We are monitoring the situation closely and in contact with the affected Member States and with EASA."
RTVE.es reported that the European Commission activated an information-sharing mechanism among EU Member States and that Apostolos Tzitzikostas said it was still "too early" to determine whether the threats were related. RTVE.es also said the French prime minister Sébastien Lecornu’s office explained that the decision to deploy fighter jets was taken by the prime minister himself upon observing the pilot’s attitude and lack of cooperation.