Hoax bomb threats hit European flights for third day

At least 14 or 15 commercial flights in Europe were hit by hoax bomb alerts on Thursday, marking the third day of such incidents this week. Italian, French, and Bulgarian fighter jets were scrambled during the day. While authorities reported that no explosives were discovered on any of the jets, one expert suggested the increasing number of threats may indicate a very deliberate act.

According to CBS News, one flight from Ireland to Italy was diverted to a military base in France. MyJoyOnline Ghana reported that an Aer Lingus Airbus A320 traveling from Dublin diverted to the Evreux air base in northern France, landing safely with 151 passengers and six crew members. MyJoyOnline Ghana also noted that Finnair reported a bomb threat on a flight from Helsinki to Rome, which was escorted by air force jets and landed as scheduled.

Earlier in the week, British authorities dismissed threats against approximately seven flights as hoaxes, while MyJoyOnline Ghana reported that eight European flights, including two departing from the UK, were targeted by suspected bomb threats. A Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw also issued an emergency alert and diverted to Vienna, though MyJoyOnline Ghana noted there was no report of a bomb threat for that specific flight and the reason for the diversion remains unclear.

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