Plane bomb threats: all 18 flights, routes and airports affected in latest Europe alerts
Passengers faced diversions, emergency landings and security checks after a new series of hoax bomb threats hit services across Europe, including a Ryanair flight from London Stansted.
At least 18 flights across Europe have been caught up in a fresh wave of bomb threats, with planes diverted, searched and in some cases escorted by military aircraft.
A Ryanair flight from London Stansted was among those affected on Thursday, with the Sofia-bound aircraft diverted to Plovdiv in Bulgaria.
The latest incidents come just two days after a series of similar alerts disrupted flights from airports including Heathrow and Manchester. UK ministers have described the threats seen this week as malicious hoaxes.
No explosives or suspicious items have so far been reported on the aircraft which have been searched.
Which flights have been affected by bomb threats?
The number of affected flights continued to rise through Thursday morning, with 18 reported by early afternoon.
These are the routes identified so far:
- Aer Lingus EI402: Dublin to Rome – diverted to the Évreux military air base in France.
- Ryanair FR6410: Madrid to Sofia – landed safely in Sofia.
- Ryanair FR3606: Copenhagen to Sofia – landed safely in Sofia.
- Ryanair FR1730: London Stansted to Sofia – diverted to Plovdiv in Bulgaria.
- LOT Polish Airlines LO235: Warsaw to Brussels – landed in Brussels and was inspected.
- Wizz Air W46387: Milan Malpensa to Warsaw – diverted to Vienna.
- Finnair AY1761: Helsinki to Rome – landed safely in Rome.
- Finnair AY1471: Helsinki to Vienna – landed safely in Vienna.
- Wizz Air W43064: Milan Malpensa to Bucharest – landed safely in Bucharest before security checks.
- Aegean Airlines A3552: Thessaloniki to Milan Malpensa – landed at Malpensa and was checked.
- Ryanair FR8953: Porto to Milan Malpensa – landed at Malpensa and was checked.
- Four unidentified flights at Prague Airport were also subject to bomb threats and searched after landing.
- Three unidentified flights at Madrid Airport were affected by hoax bomb threats, according to Spanish authorities.
Details of the seven aircraft affected at Prague and Madrid had not been released.
Which airports have been affected?
The alerts have involved flights using some of Europe’s biggest airports, including London Stansted, Dublin, Madrid, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Warsaw, Milan Malpensa and Porto.
Destination and diversion airports caught up in the incidents include Sofia, Plovdiv, Rome Fiumicino, Vienna, Brussels, Bucharest, Prague and the French military air base at Évreux.
The Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was carrying 151 passengers and six crew when it was diverted to France. Bomb disposal teams were sent to examine the aircraft after everyone on board was brought to safety.
Finnair said its Helsinki to Rome and Helsinki to Vienna services had faced “unfounded or hoax” bomb threats. Both landed safely and passengers were able to leave the aircraft.
Wizz Air also confirmed threats against its Milan to Warsaw and Milan to Bucharest services.
What has the UK Government said?
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was aware that a “small number of flights” had been disrupted.
She said the UK had “some of the most robust aviation security systems anywhere in the world” and established procedures for dealing with malicious threats.
A UK Government spokesperson said the threats reported during the early hours had been resolved, adding that authorities were right to take every potential threat seriously.
The Metropolitan Police’s Aviation Policing Command is continuing to monitor the situation and liaise with relevant authorities.
Thursday’s alerts follow another series of bomb threats on Tuesday involving flights across Europe.
Those included a LOT flight from Heathrow to Warsaw and a Ryanair service from Manchester to Murcia in Spain. No explosives were found following searches of the affected aircraft.
The latest tally could change as airlines and authorities release further information.