Around 10 European flights hit by bomb threats, triggering fighter jet scramble
LONDON: About 10 European flights were targeted by bomb threats on Tuesday, forcing the brief closure of a Warsaw airport and the scrambling of air force planes in Rome, authorities said.
Ten European flights faced bomb threats on Tuesday, leading to the temporary closure of Warsaw airport and fighter jets being scrambled in Rome, according to authorities. However, no explosives were found after the aircraft took off and landed safely at various European destinations within hours of each other.
The Irish budget airline Ryanair was the most affected, with four of its flights across different destinations targeted. London's Metropolitan Police confirmed receiving threats against four aircraft scheduled to depart from or arrive at Heathrow Airport, one of Europe's busiest hubs. They added that another warning was issued regarding a flight at Manchester Airport.
Two bomb warnings were issued for planes heading to Warsaw, including an SAS Scandinavian Airlines flight from Copenhagen and a Polish airline LOT flight from Heathrow. A Spanish airport operator reported an emergency protocol activation due to a bomb alert on a Ryanair flight that landed in Murcia, Spain, without any issues.
Other Ryanair flights bound for Rome from Lisbon, Dublin to Rome, and Dublin to Bulgaria's capital Sofia also received warnings. Simultaneously, a Panama-flagged cruise ship, the Crown Iris, was evacuated from the Greek island of Syros due to a bomb threat. The vessel, bound for Haifa, Israel, with around 1,500 passengers and crew onboard, was cleared of any explosive devices and resumed its journey.
Italian air force jets escorted a Ryanair flight, FR9611, from Dublin as it landed in Rome, while anti-bomb procedures were initiated for another Ryanair flight upon arrival. A Wizz Air flight from Bergamo, Italy, to Sofia was inspected after landing in the Bulgarian capital following an alert. The incidents followed a similar event on Monday when fighter jets were scrambled when a Wizz Air flight from London's Luton airport to Sofia was diverted and required an emergency stop in Budapest.
Scandinavian Airlines confirmed the threat against flight SK751 from Copenhagen to Warsaw, but the plane landed safely at Warsaw's Chopin airport, which temporarily closed one runway for a security inspection.
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