Hoax bomb threats hit European flights for third day

At least 14 or 15 commercial flights in Europe were impacted by hoax bomb threats on Thursday, marking the third day of such incidents this week. The disruptions included emergency landings and diversions in Bulgaria, Belgium, France, and Italy, according to Ajel English. In Bulgaria, Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev reported that aircraft from Copenhagen and Madrid made emergency landings in Sofia, while a third plane from London landed in Plovdiv.

Additionally, Czech police stated they were preparing for the landing of four planes heading to Prague after receiving threats they assessed as having low credibility.

An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome diverted to the Evreux air base in Normandy, France, where 151 passengers and six crew members deplaned safely. MyJoyOnline Ghana also reported that a Finnair flight traveling from Helsinki to Rome was escorted by air force jets before landing as scheduled. While CBS News noted that one flight was diverted to a military base, the outlet reported that no explosives were discovered on any of the jets.

Earlier in the week, British authorities dismissed threats against approximately seven flights as hoaxes. The National UAE reported that on Tuesday, at least seven flights and a cruise ship received bomb threats. While no authorities have confirmed a link between the threats or attributed culpability, some experts suggested the incidents might be part of a pattern of low-cost, deniable disruption efforts.

Brief written by urgent.news from The Local Germany, CBS News, MyJoyOnline Ghana, Ajel English, The National UAE — 5 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.