At Least 18 Flights Across Europe Receive Bomb Threats In One Day

ISTANBUL, Nov 6 (NNN-Anadolu) -- Several passenger flights across Europe faced reported bomb threats Thursday, prompting emergency landings, diversions, military escorts and security inspections at airports in several countries, Anadolu Ajansi (AA) reported.

The incidents affected flights operated by Ryanair, Wizz Air, LOT Polish Airlines, Finnair, Jettime, KLM and Aer Lingus, among others.

In France, an Aer Lingus Airbus A320 travelling from Dublin to Rome was diverted to an airbase in Evreux, Normandy, following a bomb threat; the aircraft, carrying 151 passengers and six crew members, landed safely.

French military bomb disposal teams were deployed to inspect the plane, while passengers and crew were moved to a safe location, according to the office of Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu.

In Italy, a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome was escorted to Rome's Fiumicino Airport by Italian Air Force fighter jets following a bomb threat.

The aircraft landed safely and underwent security inspections while the airport temporarily suspended flight operations for around 30 minutes, according to Italian news agency ANSA.

Bomb scares also affected two other flights bound for Milan Malpensa, which were not diverted and landed as scheduled: an Aegean Airlines flight that departed from Thessaloniki, Greece, and a Ryanair flight that took off from Porto, Portugal.

Another Finnair flight from Helsinki to Vienna, operated by Jettime, also received a bomb threat but landed as scheduled.

An Airbus A321 operated by Hungarian airline Wizz Air, en route from Milan-Malpensa to Warsaw, also made an unscheduled landing in Vienna. No suspicious objects were found after the plane landed at Vienna International Airport.

In Bulgaria, three Ryanair flights bound for Sofia were targeted by bomb threats, prompting the Bulgarian Air Force to scramble MiG-29 fighter jets.

In Romania, a Wizz Air flight from Milan to Bucharest landed at Henri Coanda International Airport following a bomb threat. Passengers were evacuated, and a crisis management team was activated, while specialists inspected the aircraft, broadcaster Digi24 reported.

In Belgium, a LOT Polish Airlines flight from Warsaw to Brussels landed safely after authorities received a suspicious report about the flight.

Czech police also reported bomb threats involving four flights heading to Prague. Authorities assessed the threats as low-credibility but activated security procedures and conducted inspections, according to Czech media reports.

A LOT flight from Warsaw to Paris, meanwhile, underwent security procedures at Chopin Airport after an onboard threat, Polish media reported.

An Air Serbia plane, operating on the Belgrade-Bucharest route, also landed safely at the airport in the Romanian capital after a bomb threat, according to broadcaster RTS.

Two planes that landed at Copenhagen Airport were also investigated after threats against them. A closer examination showed that nothing was found, according to Danish broadcaster DR.

An email in Italian that arrived at Fiumicino Airport triggered bomb alerts on two flights, one from Helsinki and the other from Dublin, both bound for Rome, according to Rai News.

“You are all complicit in a criminal conspiracy. We want to annihilate you for this. Precisely for this reason, at this very moment, explosive devices have been placed on the following flights: AY1761, Helsinki - Italy EL402, Dublin - Italy,” said the group called Fighters of the Male State.

“Your feminist regime will remember this forever. The explosion will take place in 60 minutes. Today your sky will be red,” the group added.

Initial reports on the emails sent to Italian airports reporting the presence of bombs will be forwarded to relevant prosecutors.

The so-called “Fighters of the Male State” who signed the email were considered to be part of a group known for its racist and misogynistic content.

The group was the focus of security and intelligence agencies and was on Russia's list of illegal extremist and terrorist movements, the Italian outlet reported.

The Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) said two more bomb threats targeted Henri Coanda International Airport in Bucharest after similar incidents earlier in the day, according to local media reports.

One of the alerts concerned a KLM aircraft bound for Tel Aviv with a stopover in Romania. The pilots requested a pyrotechnic check after consulting the airline.

SRI officials said the preliminary assessment found no indication the threat was real. The aircraft crew nevertheless decided to request additional checks.

--NNN-ANADOLU