Ten European Flights Inspected After Bomb Threats

Ten commercial flights across Europe faced bomb threats on Tuesday, triggering security inspections and the temporary closure of Warsaw's Chopin airport. Authorities confirmed that all aircraft landed safely, and extensive searches turned up no explosives.

Ryanair was the most affected carrier, with four of its flights targeted. London's Metropolitan Police said they were aware of threats against four planes at Heathrow and one at Manchester. After checks, the police stated that no security issues were identified. In southeastern Spain, a Ryanair flight from Manchester landed in Murcia at 10:30 a.m. local time after an emergency protocol was activated.

Italian air force jets were scrambled to escort a Ryanair flight from Dublin as it touched down at Rome-Fiumicino at 10:45 a.m. Rome Airport said in a statement that anti-bomb procedures were also applied to an earlier Ryanair arrival at 9:40 a.m. Officials noted that checks on passengers, luggage, and the plane were negative, and the alert was lifted.

In Poland, two flights bound for Warsaw were targeted. A Scandinavian Airlines flight from Copenhagen landed at Chopin airport, which closed one runway for the security inspection. A LOT Polish Airlines flight from Heathrow was diverted to Warsaw Modlin. Authorities closed Modlin airport, but the Boeing 737 MAX landed safely. Adam Szablowski, a Modlin airport spokesman, told AFP that nothing was found during the search.

A Wizz Air flight from Bergamo, Italy, was inspected after landing in Sofia, Bulgaria. An interior ministry spokesperson confirmed the alert to the AFP news agency. This Tuesday's incident followed a similar event on Monday, when a Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia was diverted to Budapest.

Hungarian Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi wrote on Facebook that NATO's air defence alert service had issued an alert for the Monday flight. He stated that Hungarian Gripen fighter jets took to the air within minutes to ensure the safe landing of the passenger aircraft in Budapest.

Matthew Borie, co-founder of Osprey Flight Solutions, suggested the incidents could stem from a single threat sparking copycat cases or from state actors conducting hybrid warfare. He noted that such threats are not a new phenomenon and occur amid heightened geopolitical tensions. Borie said the focus on Europe means there could be a Russian angle, though he noted that Iranian hybrid warfare is also active in certain parts of the continent.

Borie advised travelers not to be alarmed, pointing to coordinated response mechanisms by national authorities. These mechanisms sometimes include NATO fighter jets escorting threatened planes to ensure they can land safely.