Bomb alerts once again put European air traffic in check. This Thursday, November 5, at least 25 commercial flights have received bomb threats in different European countries, according to the balance published by Reuters. The warnings have forced routes to be modified, security protocols to be activated, extraordinary inspections to be carried out and even military fighters to be deployed to escort some aircraft.
Among the most notable incidents are the diversion of an Aer Lingus plane to a French military base, threats against several flights bound for Bulgaria and alerts received at Brussels-Zaventem airport. Spain has also been affected: three flights have received threats at the Madrid-Barajas airport, although the security forces have ruled out any risk after checks.
The succession of warnings comes after at least seven commercial flights and a cruise ship received similar threats last Tuesday. Also on Monday, a Wizz Air plane that was covering the route between London-Luton and Sofia was diverted and had to land in Budapest. For the moment, the inspections carried out have not made it possible to locate explosives or dangerous devices on the affected planes.
An Aer Lingus plane diverted to a French military base
One of the most striking incidents this Thursday affected an Airbus A320 of the Irish company Aer Lingus that was covering the route between Dublin and Rome. The plane received a bomb threat while flying over France and had to abandon its initial trajectory to head to the Évreux air base in Normandy.
The aircraft landed safely at the French military facilities. There were 151 passengers and six crew members on board, who were transferred to a safe area while specialized bomb disposal teams examined the device.
The office of French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed the landing and assured that the Government was monitoring the situation closely. The French Air Force deployed military aircraft to accompany the aircraft during its approach.
A LOT flight lands in Brussels-Zaventem after receiving a threat
Another episode of the day took place at the Brussels-Zaventem airport. A plane of the Polish airline LOT, which was traveling between Warsaw and Brussels (flight LO235), received a warning about a possible threat to the safety of the flight.
The plane landed normally at the Belgian airport, where authorities carried out the corresponding security checks. The company has subsequently confirmed that no suspicious or dangerous objects had been found on board.
Three flights receive bomb threats in Madrid-Barajas
Spain has also registered several warnings during the morning of this Thursday. As reported by the Civil Guard, three bomb threats have been received by email in less than 20 minutes, starting at nine in the morning.
The notices only affected commercial flights from the Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport. The security forces activated the corresponding protocols and carried out the necessary checks. Finally, the threats were discarded and the authorities confirmed that there was no active risk.
The incident has forced extreme precautions at airport facilities, although the existence of any explosive device has not been reported.
Bulgaria, Italy, Austria and the Czech Republic, among the affected countries
The incidents in France, Belgium and Spain are added to those recorded in other parts of the continent. Bulgaria has been one of the worst affected countries, with three Ryanair flights receiving threats while en route to Sofia from Madrid, Copenhagen and London Stansted.
The first two landed in the Bulgarian capital, while the third was diverted to Plovdiv airport. The three planes were escorted by Bulgarian Air Force fighters and later inspected. Authorities confirmed that they did not find any suspicious items.
In Italy, a Finnair plane covering the route between Helsinki and Rome was escorted by an Italian Air Force fighter until its landing. Another flight from the same company, between Helsinki and Vienna, also received a threat, although it was able to land normally.
In addition, two planes bound for Milan-Malpensa airport, one from Aegean Airlines from Thessaloniki and another from Ryanair from Porto, received bomb warnings. Both landed without incident and were subject to the corresponding inspections.
In Austria, a Wizz Air flight between Milan and Warsaw had to be diverted to Vienna after receiving a threat. Another plane from the Hungarian company that covered the route between Milan and Bucharest was also the subject of a warning, although it landed normally.
The Czech Republic has also registered threats against four planes heading to Prague. The Police considered that the notices had low credibility, but activated security protocols. After inspections, authorities confirmed that no explosives or suspicious devices were found.
For its part, in Denmark, specialized teams inspected two planes at Copenhagen airport without finding any artifacts.
Are they coordinated attacks?
The repetition of these episodes in such a short period has raised questions about a possible coordinated campaign to disrupt European air traffic. The coincidence in time, the variety of airlines affected and the geographical dispersion of the notices have raised the concern of authorities and aviation safety experts.
Some specialists consider that the multiplicity of threats could point to deliberate action to cause disruptions in air transport and test how companies, airports and national authorities respond.
However, the European Commission has urged caution in establishing a connection between all the incidents. The European Commissioner for Transport, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, has indicated that it is still early to determine whether the threats are related to each other.
