Bomb Threats in Europe Force Flight Diversions, Cancellations

At least 27 European airline flights from Bulgaria to Portugal were affected by a wave of apparently false bomb threats on Thursday. Some were diverted and others were escorted to their planned destinations by fighters in the rash of hoaxes that may have been triggered by so-called “hybrid attacks” from Russia or Iran. A hybrid attack is a cheap and easy operation that makes a mess of things but isn’t serious enough to trigger an armed response. In all of the reported incidents on Thursday, no threatening devices were found.

In one case, an Aer Lingus pilot refused to divert and that flight was intercepted by fighters and escorted to a French air base. No reason for the pilot’s non-compliance has been released but Joji Waites, director of flight safety for the British Airline Pilots’ Association said airlines typically don’t respond to threats unless their assessors think they’re credible.

A Russian anti-feminism organization called The Male State has been connected to the rash of bomb threats. Russia has been accused of being behind these and other recent hybrid attacks, including a failed attempt to blow up a cargo plane in Leipzig, Germany with an explosives-laden drone. The drone bounced harmlessly off the plane. A few weeks ago, a hacker shut down refrigerators in many French grocery stores and drone sightings shut down several European airports over the summer.

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