New wave of bomb threats disrupts air travel in Europe
A new wave of reports of alleged explosives on board passenger planes was recorded in Europe on November 5. Due to the threats, airlines were forced to change the routes of certain flights, and security services at several airports conducted additional checks.
As reported by Bloomberg, the incidents affected flights of Aer Lingus, Finnair, Wizz Air, and LOT Polish Airlines. Threat reports were received in various European countries, but no common features have been identified so far that would allow their origin to be established.
One of the largest incidents was the forced diversion of an Aer Lingus plane traveling from Dublin to Rome. After a report of a possible explosive device, flight EI402 was redirected to the Évreux military airbase in France.
The plane landed safely. The airline confirmed that the decision to divert was made for safety reasons and promised to help passengers reach their final destination.
Threats were also received regarding two flights of Finnish airline Finnair that departed from Helsinki to Rome and Vienna. According to the airline, the reports turned out to be false.
In Romania, after a bomb report, a Wizz Air plane arriving from Milan to Bucharest's Henri Coandă Airport was checked. According to the airport administration, flight WMT3064 landed safely. All 182 passengers and seven crew members were disembarked, after which security measures prescribed by protocols were initiated. Meanwhile, other flights in Bucharest operated on schedule.
Additional checks were also organized in the Czech Republic. Police received reports of possible explosives on four planes heading to Prague. Law enforcement stated that they assessed the credibility of the threats as low but decided to inspect the aircraft after landing.
This is the second large-scale wave of such incidents in Europe within a week. In early November, at least seven passenger flights experienced delays or diversions due to similar reports. At that time, checks did not find explosive devices.
It is currently unknown who is behind the new threats. Law enforcement agencies have not confirmed any connection between them or involvement of specific individuals or states. At the same time, even false reports force airlines to change routes, spend additional resources, and disrupt transportation schedules.
Based on materials from: Bloomberg, RTÉ, Știrile ProTV
