Fake Bomb Threats Disrupt European Flights, Cruise Ship on Tuesday
SCMP · 3 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
At least seven flights and a cruise ship across Europe received bomb threats on Tuesday, causing significant airport disruptions in multiple countries. Polish authorities briefly closed Warsaw Chopin Airport, the Italian Air Force scrambled to escort one flight to Rome, and Greece searched an Israel-bound cruise ship for bombs. All inspections yielded negative results and no group claimed responsibility for the threats.
Key Points
- At least two flights each to Warsaw and Sofia, two to Rome and one to Murcia, Spain were targeted on Tuesday, with an additional Sofia-bound flight threatened on Monday
- A LOT Polish Airlines flight from London was diverted to Warsaw-Modlin airport, which was closed and then reopened after a search found no device
- Italy scrambled fighter jets to escort another flight to Rome while a Ryanair flight from Manchester landed safely at Murcia with 114 passengers and 7 crew
- Wizz Air (176 passengers) and Ryanair (186 passengers) flights to Sofia from Bergamo and Dublin respectively landed safely with no explosives found
- Rhys Jones of Osprey Flight Solutions said seven confirmed bomb threats in a single day was exceptional, suggesting the aim was general aviation disruption
Why It Matters
The coordinated nature of the threats across multiple countries without any claim of responsibility suggests a deliberate attempt to destabilize European aviation networks. For Hong Kong travellers, this incident highlights how quickly security alerts can cascade across international routes, potentially affecting connecting flights through major European hubs like London, Warsaw and Rome.
The coordinated nature of the threats across multiple countries without any claim of responsibility suggests a deliberate attempt to destabilize European aviation networks. For Hong Kong travellers, this incident highlights how quickly security alerts can cascade across international routes, potentially affecting connecting flights through major European hubs like London, Warsaw and Rome.