Multiple European flights diverted after wave of bomb threats

Summarised from 5 outlets · 13 reports · Updated 5 Nov, 15:24 · Archive

At least a dozen flights across Europe were diverted or grounded on Thursday after bomb threats, with authorities assessing them as malicious hoaxes.

Multiple flights across Europe were diverted on Thursday following bomb threats, marking the second wave of such incidents in a week. At least a dozen flights were confirmed as targets, including services from Copenhagen, Helsinki, Madrid, Milan and Warsaw. Among those affected were UK-based flights: a Ryanair service from London Stansted heading to Sofia in Bulgaria was diverted and landed safely in Plovdiv, and an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to Évreux air base in northern France.

Heathrow and Birmingham airports received threats that were assessed as not credible, with operations at both continuing normally. The French prime minister's office confirmed that the Dublin to Rome flight landed safely at Évreux, where 151 passengers and six crew members were moved to a safe place and bomb disposal teams inspected the aircraft. A Finnair plane from Helsinki to Rome was also subject to a bomb threat but landed as scheduled, escorted by air force jets.

EasyJet reported that flights from Newcastle and Glasgow arrived in Prague and were met by police as a precautionary measure, though passengers disembarked normally. Most other diverted flights landed safely at alternative airports. Spanish authorities found no explosives on a Ryanair flight from Manchester to Murcia, and airport sources told the BBC that two Ryanair flights from Dublin and Lisbon searched after landing in Rome also contained no explosives.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told reporters that a small number of flights had been disrupted and described the incidents as malicious hoaxes. She said: 'We do have some of the most robust aviation security systems anywhere in the world and we have established processes for dealing with hoax and malicious threats, and that's what these threats have been.' She stressed that the UK nonetheless takes such threats seriously.

A UK Government spokesperson said threats reported in the early hours of Thursday had been resolved, and that the Metropolitan Police's Aviation Policing Command was monitoring the situation. Czech police stated that four flights had received threats but assessed their relevance as low. There is currently no confirmed link between Thursday's incidents and the previous wave of hoax threats on Tuesday, which affected seven flights including services from Manchester to Murcia and London Heathrow to Warsaw.

How it is being reported

• Heathrow Airport targeted in hoax bomb threats affecting flights across EuropeHeathrow Airport was among those targeted in a wave of bomb threats that triggered flight diversions across Europe.This Is Local London · 5 Nov, 14:46
• Two UK airports received threats as bomb alerts divert flights across EuropeHeathrow and Birmingham airport threats were assessed as not credible as bomb alerts diverted flights across Europe.Wandsworth Guardian · 5 Nov, 14:46
• Two UK airports received threats as bomb alerts divert flights across EuropeHeathrow and Birmingham airport threats were assessed as not credible as bomb alerts diverted flights across Europe.News Shopper · 5 Nov, 14:46
• Two UK airports received threats as bomb alerts divert flights across EuropeHeathrow and Birmingham airport threats were assessed as not credible as bomb alerts diverted flights across Europe.Croydon Guardian · 5 Nov, 14:46
• Two UK airports received threats as bomb alerts impact flights across EuropeFlights across Europe have been the subject of bomb threats this week.Evening Standard · 5 Nov, 14:30
• Two UK airports received threats as bomb alerts impact flights across EuropeFlights across Europe have been the subject of bomb threats this week.Evening Standard · 5 Nov, 13:57
• Multiple reported bomb threats to flights for second time in a weekOne of the flights affected was travelling from Dublin to Rome when it was diverted to an airfield in northern France.Evening Standard · 5 Nov, 12:53
• Two London flights that faced bomb scares this week deemed as ‘malicious’ hoaxesTwo London flights that have had emergency landings due to bomb scares this week were reportedly part of a “malicious hoax”,This Is Local London · 5 Nov, 12:10
• Full list of flights affected by latest bomb threatsAt least 15 flights across Europe have been affected by bomb alerts as of 11amEvening Standard · 5 Nov, 11:26
• UK flight among planes diverted following more bomb threats across EuropeThe latest incidents come two days after seven flights across Europe were searched or diverted following suspected bomb threats.Croydon Guardian · 5 Nov, 10:25
• UK flight among planes diverted following more bomb threats across EuropeThe latest incidents come two days after seven flights across Europe were searched or diverted following suspected bomb threats.This Is Local London · 5 Nov, 10:25
• UK flight among planes diverted following more bomb threats across EuropeThe latest incidents come two days after seven flights across Europe were searched or diverted following suspected bomb threats.Wandsworth Guardian · 5 Nov, 10:25
• UK flight among planes diverted following more bomb threats across EuropeThe latest incidents come two days after seven flights across Europe were searched or diverted following suspected bomb threats.News Shopper · 5 Nov, 10:25

In this story: Ryanair · Aer Lingus · Finnair · EasyJet · London Stansted · Heathrow · Birmingham · Heidi Alexander

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