At least 12 bomb threats rock European skies as fighter jets scramble, flights make emergency landings

A wave of bomb threats across Europe disrupted air travel on Thursday, with authorities reporting at least 12 separate threats and multiple unscheduled landings or diversions.

Aer Lingus flight EI402, a Dublin-to-Rome service, diverted to a French air base after pilots entered emergency squawk code 7700 and the aircraft landed safely in Évreux-Fauville. The flight carried 151 passengers and six crew members at the time, with security procedures underway upon arrival.

Three passenger aircraft were forced to land in Bulgaria after threats, with two planes from Copenhagen and Madrid landing at Sofia, and a third from London diverting to Plovdiv. Details about the airlines and the results of security inspections have not been released.

A Finnair flight en route from Helsinki to Rome received a bomb threat and was escorted by Italian Air Force fighters to land at Fiumicino Airport, where security procedures were conducted but operations were reported as continuing normally. Italian reports also indicated two additional threats against flights bound for Milan Malpensa, with both aircraft landing safely.

In Belgium, a LOT Polish Airlines passenger aircraft landed at Brussels Zaventem following a security alert, though officials have not published further details. Separately, a Wizz Air threat targeted a flight bound for Prague, and a threat against a flight to Bucharest caused a landing in Romania, with security procedures activated and the aircraft landing safely.

Authorities noted that the incidents followed seven prior bomb threats two days earlier across Europe, all of which were later deemed false alarms. The precise perpetrators and any links between the incidents were not established, and there was no confirmed connection to the Crown Iris cruise ship threat or to reported hybrid-attack concerns.