Europe bomb hoaxes spread to media, more flights hit
Ireland’s government said on Friday that hoax bomb claims sent to Irish media outlets amid a spate of threats against Europe-wide flights were “likely” part of a “co-ordinated campaign of disruption”.
European flights and airports experienced disruption and heightened security measures on Friday following bomb threats reported in Rome and Copenhagen. WizzAir's Prague to Rome flight was redirected to Venice due to a bomb scare, while Denmark's police deployed specialist teams at Copenhagen Airport following hostile intelligence about air traffic.
Officials in Rome noted that there was no immediate danger to passengers. Airport operations were altered to include baggage re-screening and a special security perimeter was established. Czech police cleared four aircraft at Vaclav Havel Airport that had been subject to bomb threats on Thursday, concluding the inspections without finding any explosives or dangerous items.
At least 25 hoax alerts targeting airlines across Europe were reported on Friday, leading to an investigation against an Aer Lingus plane after the pilot resisted diversion orders. An Airbus A320 flying from Dublin to Rome was also diverted to the Evreux airbase in northern France due to a bomb alert on November 5. Irish media outlets, including RTE and the Irish Independent, were evacuated following bomb threats, with a reporter for RTE radio claiming an email threat stated a bomb would detonate within 45 minutes.
Prime Minister Micheal Martin emphasized the seriousness of the threat. The bomb threat tally in Europe reached nearly 30 flights by the end of Thursday, with additional threats issued on Tuesday to a cruise ship and seven flights.
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