Several bomb threats forced passenger aircraft to make unplanned landings across France, Bulgaria and Belgium on Thursday morning, in the latest wave of security alerts targeting flights across Europe.
Aer Lingus flight EI402, travelling from Dublin to Rome, landed safely at Evreux airport, about 100 kilometres west of Paris, after being diverted as a security precaution, the Irish airline said in a statement.
Belgian media reported that an aircraft forced to land at Brussels’ Zaventem airport belonged to Polish airline LOT.
A Finnair aircraft travelling from Helsinki was safely escorted by the Italian air force to its scheduled landing in Rome, according to a source close to the matter.
In Bulgaria, officials reported that three aircraft made emergency landings following bomb threats.
The country’s interior minister said aircraft travelling from Copenhagen and Madrid landed in Sofia, according to broadcaster bTV.
A third aircraft travelling from London landed in Plovdiv, local media reported.
The latest incidents come two days after at least seven flights and a cruise ship received bomb threats on Tuesday, disrupting operations at airports across Europe. No explosive devices were discovered following the alerts.
No country has been officially blamed for the threats. However, they come as European officials have increasingly accused Russia and Iran of carrying out what they describe as “hybrid attacks” and acts of sabotage.
Both Moscow and Tehran have denied involvement in any such campaign.
Meanwhile, unidentified hackers shut down refrigerators in supermarkets across several European countries this week.
Some experts have suggested that hoax bomb threats could form part of a similar pattern of low-cost, difficult-to-trace disruption efforts targeting critical infrastructure and public services.
Faridah Abdulkadiri
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