Europe on alert after seven bomb threats target passenger flights

• Seven bomb threats targeting passenger flights across Europe triggered emergency security operations, flight diversions and a temporary airport closure on Tuesday.
• Italian fighter jets escorted one flight to Rome, while inspections of the affected aircraft found no explosives. Authorities have yet to identify those responsible.

European airports were placed on high alert on Tuesday after bomb threats targeted seven passenger flights heading to Poland, Bulgaria, Spain and Italy, prompting emergency evacuations, security inspections and military intervention.

The threats led to one flight being diverted, the temporary closure of an airport in Poland and the deployment of bomb disposal teams. Italian fighter jets also escorted one of the affected aircraft until it landed in Rome.

No explosives were found during inspections of the aircraft, and no injuries were reported.

The incidents came a day after a similar threat forced a Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia to divert to Budapest.

A LOT Polish Airlines flight from London's Heathrow Airport to Warsaw Chopin Airport was diverted to Warsaw-Modlin Airport after authorities received a bomb threat.

According to the airport, the alert was issued at 9:54 a.m. local time, and the Boeing 737 MAX landed at 10:01 a.m. with 181 people on board.

Passengers were evacuated as security teams inspected the aircraft, forcing the airport to temporarily suspend operations.

The airport later announced that the threat had been cleared at 12:21 p.m. and normal operations had resumed, although some flights experienced delays.

A separate Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight arriving from Copenhagen was also inspected after landing at Warsaw Chopin Airport. Authorities confirmed that no explosives were found and that airport operations continued normally.

In Bulgaria, two flights arriving in Sofia from Italy's Bergamo and Ireland's Dublin airports were targeted by bomb threats.

Both aircraft landed safely and underwent security inspections, with no explosives discovered, according to the Bulgarian Transport Ministry.

The Bergamo flight was operated by Wizz Air and carried 176 passengers, while the Ryanair flight from Dublin had 186 passengers on board.

Bulgarian authorities also corrected initial media reports suggesting that a flight arriving from 'Israel' had been affected, clarifying that the two alerts concerned the Bergamo and Dublin flights.

In Spain, emergency protocols were activated at Murcia Airport following a threat involving a Ryanair flight from Manchester, which had landed as scheduled.

A total of 114 passengers and seven crew members were evacuated and moved to a separate area for security checks.

Explosive ordnance experts from Spain's Civil Guard inspected the aircraft, with police, firefighters and emergency medical teams also deployed.

Francisco Lucas, the government's representative in the region, later confirmed that no explosives had been found and that airport operations had returned to normal.

Two Ryanair flights arriving at Rome's Fiumicino Airport from Lisbon and Dublin were also subjected to security inspections following bomb threats.

Italian fighter jets escorted the Dublin flight until it landed in Rome, according to Europa Press.

Inspections of both aircraft ended without the discovery of explosives or dangerous objects.

The latest incidents followed Monday's diversion of a Wizz Air flight from London's Luton Airport to Sofia, which was forced to land in Budapest after a similar bomb threat. Military aircraft were also deployed during that incident.

According to The Associated Press, investigators continued working to establish the source of the threats. No injuries were reported in the incidents covered by the agency.

Security measures varied across the affected airports, with some aircraft continuing to their original destinations before being inspected, while others were diverted or escorted by military jets.

Rees Jones, an official at aviation risk consultancy Osprey Flight Solutions, told Reuters that receiving seven bomb threats in a single day was highly unusual.

He suggested that the absence of a common country, airline or flight route among the affected aircraft could indicate an attempt to disrupt air travel more broadly.

However, investigators have yet to establish whether the threats were coordinated or identify those responsible.