Bomb threats force flights to land in France, Bulgaria, Belgium

On Thursday morning, bomb threats prompted airliners to make emergency landings across Europe, marking yet another series of security concerns targeting European flights. Aer Lingus flight EI402, bound for Rome from Dublin, safely landed at Evreux airport, situated 100 kilometers west of Paris, as a precautionary measure, according to the Irish airline.

Belgian media disclosed that a Polish airline, LOT, had to land at Brussels Zaventem airport. Additionally, a Finnair plane from Helsinki was safely escorted to its designated landing in Rome by the Italian air force, as reported by a source familiar with the situation.

In Bulgaria, Bulgarian officials reported three aircraft that underwent emergency landings due to bomb threats. Airplanes departing from Copenhagen and Madrid made unscheduled stops in Sofia, as confirmed by the Bulgarian interior minister. Another aircraft originating from London also landed in Plovdiv, local media reported.

A similar incident occurred on Tuesday, with at least seven flights and a cruise ship receiving bomb threats, resulting in disruptions at airports throughout Europe. Despite no explosives being discovered, European authorities have been attributing such threats to both Russia and Iran as part of what they term "hybrid attacks" and acts of sabotage. However, both Russia and Iran have denied involvement in these activities.

This week, unidentified hackers also disrupted the operation of refrigerators in supermarkets across several European countries. Some experts suggest that bomb threats may be part of a pattern of low-cost, deniable disruption efforts.