The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
Flights across Europe hit by bomb threats that turned out to be hoaxes
BERLIN (AP) — Several flights across Europe received alleged bomb threats Tuesday that ultimately turned out to be hoaxes but prompted searches, diversions and, in one case, an escort by the Italian Air Force until landing, officials said. ...
Several European flights were the focus of a coordinated wave of bomb threats on Tuesday, triggering precautionary searches, diversions, and airport operations across multiple countries. Officials indicated that several aircraft were checked as a standard security measure while investigations continued, and no explosives were found aboard any of the planes involved, according to the consolidated reporting from Lethbridge News Now and the subsequent roundups by Yahoo News UK, The New York Times, Al Jazeera, BBC News, FTN News, and ABC News.
In Poland, details across outlets consistently describe a LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 737 MAX operating from London Heathrow to Warsaw that diverted to Modlin Airport. Passengers were evacuated for inspection, and Modlin reportedly closed briefly during the search before reopening. Separately, a Scandinavian Airlines flight from Copenhagen to Warsaw landed at Warsaw Chopin Airport with passengers disembarking as police conducted investigations and airport operations continued. These Polish incidents were repeatedly cited as core elements of the European-wide threat response, with multiple sources cross-checking the sequence of events.
Spain saw a Ryanair service from Manchester diverted to Murcia airport, where portions of the airport were cordoned off pending checks. Authorities later characterized the threat as a hoax and normal operations resumed after no explosives were found aboard. The Spanish incident is repeatedly tied to the broader wave of precautionary searches described by BBC News and echoed in other outlets’ summaries, though flight numbers and times vary slightly across reports.
In Bulgaria, coverage described an El Al flight from Tel Aviv that landed in Sofia after an email bomb threat, with counter-terrorism units inspecting the aircraft as part of ongoing investigations. Some reports also mentioned a related or preceding incident involving a Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia diverted to Budapest after a bomb threat, though the exact sequence and connections were not uniformly detailed. Bulgarian cases are presented as part of the continental pattern of checks without a confirmed linkage between incidents.
Across Europe, the reporting consistently notes that authorities conducted precautionary searches on several aircraft, with diversions, evacuations, or inspections as required. The New York Times, echoed by FTN News and Al Jazeera, summarized at least four flights being diverted or forced to land in connection with the threats, and stressed that no explosives were located aboard any aircraft or on the Israel-bound cruise ship mentioned in some roundups. Some outlets also indicated investigations and ongoing security procedures at multiple airports without confirming injuries or detentions.
A broader tally from Al Jazeera and Gulf Business adds that seven flights and an Israel-bound cruise ship were affected in total, with searches conducted and no explosives found aboard any aircraft or the ship. BBC News explicitly noted two or more European flights being checked for explosives with incidents in Poland, Spain, Bulgaria, and Italy, each aircraft undergoing an explosives check as a precaution, though the reports did not provide final outcomes for every flight. Across the board, outlets stressed that no injuries or arrests were confirmed in connection with these events.