Airlines were forced to divert more flights carrying passengers across Europe on Thursday because of bomb threats, following a series of warnings that disrupted several airliners earlier this week.
A Wizz Air Holdings Plc aircraft flying from Milan to Warsaw on Thursday was diverted to Vienna after a threat was received during the flight, a spokesman said.
The French prime minister’s office confirmed that a Dublin-Rome flight had been diverted to a military base in Évreux in the Normandy region, following a bomb threat. The office is monitoring the situation in line with procedures.
Aer Lingus confirmed that Flight EI402 diverted to Normandy this morning as a security precaution. More than 150 passengers and six crew members were onboard the plane.
“The flight landed safely and Aer Lingus will work to reaccommodate customers to their final destination as soon as possible,” the Irish carrier said.
A LOT Polish Airlines flight from Warsaw to Paris was stopped while taxiing and directed to a parking stand, where it underwent a security check, authorities said in an emailed statement. No hazardous items were found, they said, and the airport continued normal operations.
No pattern has emerged around the spate of threats this week, either with the carriers targeted or the routes that were affected. Bomb threats are rare events and almost always end up being hoaxes. On average, there are more than 30,000 flights a day in Europe’s skies.
But the unusual rise in bomb threats comes at a time of heightened geopolitical tension and freak disruptions in Europe, including repeat hacking attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems and drone incursions into the territory.
At least seven flights were disrupted by bomb threats between Monday and Tuesday, leading to hundreds of passengers being diverted and fighter jets escorting some aircraft to airports. The airlines impacted included Wizz, Ryanair Holdings Plc, LOT and Scandinavian Airlines.
No explosives were found and the UK government called the incidents “malicious hoax threats.”
Photograph: A Wizz Air Holdings Plc passenger aircraft; photo credit: Akos Stiller/Bloomberg
Related:
- Russia’s Attacks on Europe Are Getting More Brazen and More Dangerous
- Europe Struggles to Counter Russian Attacks Falling Short of War
Was this article valuable?
Here are more articles you may enjoy.
Private Jet’s Pilot Reported Turbulence Before Florida Crash 
Binance Estimates $6.3 Billion Hacked in Crypto’s Biggest Heist 
Florida Agency Owner and Unlicensed Agent Charged in Fake Certificates Scheme 
Yellow Furball Mascot Liberty Biberty Sparks ‘Beautiful’ Protest. Seriously? 
