The energy sector, the internet sector, and the aviation sector are among those,
said Eliran Almog, of the aviation cybersecurity firm Cyviation, regarding the potential for coordinated disruption. At least 27 flights across Europe were forced to divert or make emergency landings on Thursday following a wave of hoax bomb threats. These incidents added to at least seven threats reported on Tuesday.
Emergency Landings and Security Sweeps
The disruptions affected airlines operating across the continent, including flights linked to Ireland, the United Kingdom, Spain, Denmark, Poland, Romania, and the Czech Republic. No explosives were discovered.
In Bulgaria, three Ryanair flights were also affected. Two aircraft arriving from Copenhagen and Madrid landed at Sofia Airport, while a third flight from London Stansted was diverted to Plovdiv. Krassimir Peshev, the CEO of Plovdiv Airport, confirmed the safety of the passengers. Bulgarian transport officials reported that all three flights underwent security inspections, which yielded negative results, and operations at both Sofia and Plovdiv airports returned to normal shortly thereafter.
Bezpečnostní opatření na pražském letišti právě skončilo, pyrotechnické prohlídky s negativním výsledkem. Vyšetřování výhružek si převzal NCTEKK a aktuálně nelze poskytovat žádné další informace. #policiepp
The Czech police reported that four aircraft heading for Prague received similar threats on Thursday. Authorities assessed the credibility of these alerts as low, and subsequent pyrotechnic inspections found no hazardous materials. In Romania, a Wizz Air flight from Milan to Bucharest landed safely. Meanwhile, in Belgium, a LOT Polish Airlines flight from Warsaw to Brussels completed its journey after a security warning; additional screening upon arrival in Brussels also found no suspicious items.
Officials Warn of Hybrid Attacks
The Thursday incidents follow a series of similar alerts earlier in the week, including a Monday diversion of a Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Sofia. While no state or group has claimed responsibility for the majority of the threats, European officials have increasingly voiced concerns over hybrid attacks
that aim to create economic costs and undermine public confidence. Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the European transport commissioner, stated it was too early to draw conclusions on whether the reported incidents are linked.
🚨 Airplane bomb threat now to @AerLingus. This after several hybrid threats and attacks across Europe, and ahead of the major European summit in #Dublin next week. Does anyone still deny Ireland faces serious security threats? https://t.co/bd5pFnPJm3
In Italy, Fiumicino Airport received an emailed threat targeting two inbound flights, signed by a group identified as “Male State.” The extremist organization, which advocates for Russian nationalism and patriarchy, was banned in Russia in 2021. Italian Air Force jets were scrambled to escort a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome as a precautionary measure. While Russia and Iran have denied involvement in such activities, Western officials have pointed to recent drone incursions and cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration systems as evidence of a broader pattern of sabotage.
Industry experts suggest the tactics may be designed to test the responsiveness of national security systems. Different essential services are experiencing disruption that carries economic costs and can undermine public confidence,
Almog stated. Philip Baum, a visiting professor of aviation security at Coventry University, highlighted the financial impact of such events, noting that diverting a flight because of an unruly passenger or a bomb threat can cost up to $250,000.
Industry Response to Security Protocols
Despite the operational chaos, aviation authorities maintain that established safety protocols remain effective. Joji Waites, director of flight safety, policy and regulation for the British Airline Pilots’ Association, explained that airlines do not act on threats unless they are rated as credible by assessors. Airlines generally follow guidelines developed by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency and the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Airports and airlines continue to monitor the situation, with authorities in several nations, including the Czech Republic and Poland, treating the reports with standardized safety procedures.
Earlier coverage: Bomb Threats Disrupt Flights and a Cruise Ship Across Europe