SEVEN PLANES. ZERO BOMBS. MAXIMUM CHAOS! Authorities across Europe searched seven passenger flights Tuesday after a wave of suspected bomb threats, the BBC reported — and found no explosives.
Two Ryanair jets landing in Rome (from Dublin and Lisbon) were searched after anonymous tips; the Dublin flight was escorted by the Italian Air Force. A Manchester–Murcia Ryanair flight was surrounded by fire engines and a bomb squad; passenger Sarah told BBC Radio 5 Live crews kept them on the runway about 30 minutes, then evacuated them without their bags. Two Warsaw-bound flights were hit, including a Heathrow flight diverted to Modlin, briefly closing that airport. Bulgaria checked Bergamo–Sofia and Dublin–Sofia flights after an email threat; nothing found.
The UK government called the incidents “malicious hoax threats” and said it has well-tested aviation-security processes. Aviation expert Paul Mason told BBC Radio 5 Live the spread across airlines looked “very deliberate” rather than coincidence. European airspace is on high alert while countries assess whether the threats were coordinated.
Tuesday’s wave came a day after a Wizz Air Luton–Sofia flight made an emergency landing in Budapest under Hungarian fighter escort after a mid-air threat — also a blank. Separately, Greek media said 1,537 people were evacuated from the Israel-bound cruise ship Crown Iris at Syros after a bomb alert; initial checks found nothing.
Featured image: AI-generated editorial illustration by Bugle Blast.
Sources: BBC News
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