Why have more than 30 European flights been hit by bomb threats this week?

Several European flights were halted due to bomb threats for the second consecutive day. Around ten flights were impacted on Thursday, with some redirected. On Tuesday, at least seven flights and a cruise ship faced similar threats, leading to disruptions at airports across Europe, though no explosive devices were found. No country has claimed responsibility for the threats, which occur amid accusations from European officials that Russia and Iran are behind what they describe as "hybrid attacks" and acts of sabotage.

Both nations deny involvement. This week, hackers also crippled fridges in supermarkets in multiple European countries. Some analysts suggest the bomb threats may be part of a coordinated strategy of low-cost, deniable disruptions. On Thursday, Bulgarian officials reported three aircraft making emergency landings due to bomb threats.

Planes from Copenhagen, Madrid, and London all landed in Sofia, Plovdiv, and Plovdiv respectively, with Czech police assessing the threats as low risk. Nevertheless, police activated security measures with minimal impact on passengers and operations. Aer Lingus flight EI402 from Dublin to Rome was safely diverted to Evreux airport, 100 kilometers west of Paris.

A Polish airline airplane was diverted to Brussels Airport after a bomb threat, but it landed as usual. A Finnair flight from Helsinki to Vienna also landed normally despite receiving a bomb threat. The airline later reported another flight to Rome had landed safely. LOT confirmed a flight from Warsaw to Brussels landed without incident after a security warning, with no suspicious items found post-inspection.

Aviation cybersecurity expert Eliran Almog noted that these threats could serve to disrupt operations and gauge responses from airlines, airports, and authorities. This surge in threats coincides with cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration systems across Europe, causing economic losses and potentially eroding public trust in essential services.