1 Airline Hit 4 Times as 7 European Flights and a Ship Clear False Bomb Threats

Passenger airlines across Europe managed seven separate flights and one cruise ship under bomb threat protocols on Tuesday, according to officials. All alerts were determined to be false, and every aircraft landed safely without the discovery of an explosive device.

Ryanair, the Irish budget carrier, was the most affected operator with four distinct flights targeted. Wizz Air, Scandinavian Airlines, and Polish carrier LOT also received threats. No group or government claimed responsibility, and authorities did not attribute blame for the coordinated disruption.

In Poland, two flights heading to Warsaw were inspected. Scandinavian Airlines Flight SK751 from Copenhagen landed at Warsaw Chopin Airport, where a runway was closed during the check. Alexandra Lindgren Kaoukji, a spokesperson for the airline, told the Polish news agency PAP that the plane landed normally and passengers disembarked. A LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 737 Max from London Heathrow was diverted to Warsaw Modlin Airport, which closed operations until Adam Szablowski, a spokesman for Modlin, confirmed that nothing was found.

Italian air defenses responded to a reported threat aboard Ryanair Flight FR9611 from Dublin. Two Eurofighter jets escorted the aircraft into Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, where it landed at 10:45am local time. An earlier Ryanair flight from Lisbon also underwent anti-bomb procedures at the same airport. The airport operator stated that checks of passengers, luggage, and the plane were negative.

In Spain, Aena activated an emergency protocol for a Ryanair flight from Manchester that landed in Murcia at 10:30am. In Bulgaria, a Wizz Air flight from Bergamo and a Ryanair flight from Dublin were both inspected in Sofia. The Bulgarian Interior Ministry and transport ministry confirmed that no explosives were found on either aircraft.

London’s Metropolitan Police reported awareness of threats against four aircraft at Heathrow Airport and one flight at Manchester Airport. Police concluded that no security issues were identified. Later in the day, the Greek Coast Guard evacuated the Crown Iris, a Panama-flagged cruise ship carrying about 1,500 people, while it was anchored off Syros. The vessel, bound for Haifa, Israel, was cleared to resume its voyage.

The Tuesday incidents followed a similar event on Monday when a Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Sofia was diverted to Budapest. Hungarian Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi stated that Gripen fighter jets escorted the plane to the ground. European officials have recently described such disruptions as part of hybrid attacks, a claim Moscow and Tehran deny. Unidentified hackers also shut down supermarket fridges in several European countries this week.