Experts Investigate Possible Sources of European Flight Bomb Scare

A wave of hoax bomb threats has forced emergency landings for more than 25 European flights, with an Aer Lingus jet diverted to a military base in France. The Mirror reported ^[1] that flight EI402, travelling from Dublin to Rome, landed safely at Evreux in Normandy after circling above northern France. All 151 passengers and six crew members were unharmed, according to the French Prime Minister’s office cited by the New York Post ^[2].

The disruption marks the second major incident this week. On Tuesday, seven flights and a cruise ship received similar threats. The BBC reported ^[5] that air traffic control messages reveal how these fake threats were passed on to pilots, confirming the incidents were hoaxes. Despite the scare, no explosives were found on any aircraft.

Three Ryanair flights were diverted into Bulgarian airspace. Two planes, one from Copenhagen and one from Madrid, landed at Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport. A third flight from London Stansted was diverted to Plovdiv airport, as noted by Bulgarian public broadcaster BNT ^[1]. Separately, a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome was escorted by Italian Air Force units, landing normally in the Italian capital. A Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw was also diverted to Vienna.

Belgian media reported that a LOT Polish Airlines flight made an emergency landing at Brussels’ Zaventem airport, according to The Independent ^[7]. The Daily Mail noted ^[4] that two British airports were also targeted by hoax threats, adding to the chaos across the continent.

Experts are investigating the source of these low-cost disruptions. Matthew Borie of Osprey Flight Solutions told Sky News ^[1] that the focus on Europe could suggest a