Bomb threats spread to European newsrooms after wave of passenger jet scares

Europe is once again grappling with a wave of bomb threats against its air traffic, following a week of hoaxes that have caused flight diversions. Officials across the continent reported additional threats on Friday, while two broadcasters also received security threats, suggesting the menace may be spreading beyond the skies. Despite the heightened alert, no suspicious items have been discovered and no one has been hurt.

However, the repeated threats have raised serious concerns, coming in the wake of other European disruptions such as attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems and drone incursions.

In total, the threats have caused only minimal disruption to aviation, according to the European air traffic authority, Eurocontrol. The authority noted that they were aware of bomb threats against 14 flights on Thursday, accounting for a mere 0.05% of the nearly 26,300 flights across the European network that day. Seven flight threats were reported on Tuesday as well.

Despite the low percentage of affected flights, airlines must take every threat seriously, as they are ultimately responsible for the safety of their passengers, according to Robert Jordan, research director at Britain's Royal United Services Institute think tank.