Hoax bomb threats hit European flights for third day

At least 14 European flights were hit by hoax bomb alerts on Thursday, marking the third day of such incidents this week. The Local France, The Local Spain, and The Local Germany report that Italian, French, and Bulgarian fighter jets were scrambled during the incidents. Le Monde English noted that flights were diverted or forced to make emergency landings, though inspections have not uncovered any hazardous or suspicious materials.

CBS News reports that at least 15 commercial flights dealt with threats on Thursday, including one flight from Ireland to Italy that was diverted to a military base in western France. According to the office of French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu, the plane landed safely, allowing 151 passengers and six crew members to deplane while military bomb defusal teams examined the aircraft.

While British authorities dismissed threats to approximately seven flights earlier in the week, CBS News reports that the number of impacted journeys rose to over 20 on Thursday. One expert told CBS News the incidents suggest a very deliberate act, raising concerns about a possible coordinated effort to impact travel, though authorities have not confirmed any link between the threats or identified who may be behind them.

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