New reports of bomb threats on European planes, including on flight to Brussels

Several European flights have been disrupted and diverted following bomb threats on Thursday – including a flight en route to Brussels. This is the second time this week.

Several aircraft across Europe had to be diverted or land as a precaution, including in France, Italy, Finland and Austria, with the authorities investigating whether there is a link between the incidents.

A LOT Polish Airlines aircraft from Warsaw on its way to Brussels received a report prior to its scheduled landing at Brussels Airport in Zaventem. The plane was able to land safely, and the Federal Police immediately carried out a risk assessment.

"We have been informed of a suspicious report concerning a flight bound for Brussels Airport,” said the airport’s press office. “Following an investigation by the Federal Police, it appeared that no further measures were necessary."

LOT Polish Airlines confirmed the incident to The Guardian, but added that the threat was not confirmed. "After receiving information about a potential threat to the safety of flight LO235 from Warsaw to Brussels, the flight crew was informed of the situation and conducted an onboard inspection in accordance with applicable procedures," the airline said. "No suspicious items were found."

The statement added that the additional inspection carried out by Brussels Airport authorities also "did not reveal the presence of any dangerous or suspicious items."

The police have stated that they are investigating whether there is a link to earlier, similar incidents this week.

Diverted flights across Europe

Elsewhere in Europe, the reports led to far-reaching precautionary measures. An Aer Lingus Airbus A320 flying from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a French air force base in Évreux, some 100 kilometres west of Paris.

The French Air Force scrambled fighter jets to intercept and escort the aircraft; the 157 passengers were brought safely to the ground. Aer Lingus has since confirmed that the landing went smoothly. The airline is looking for a way to get the passengers to Rome.

The Italian news agency Ansa has also reported several incidents. A Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome was disrupted by a bomb threat, leading to Italian fighter jets escorting the aircraft until it landed at Fiumicino Airport. Additionally, a Wizz Air flight going from Milan to Warsaw was forced to divert to Vienna following a similar threat.

In Bulgaria, bomb threats were received concerning three Ryanair flights on Thursday morning. Two aircraft from Copenhagen and Madrid were forced to land at Sofia Airport as a precaution. A third flight, from London, diverted to Plovdiv.

This is the second time in a short space of time that European air traffic has been hit by a wave of hoax bomb alerts. On Tuesday, bomb threats were reported for at least seven flights. No explosives were found on any of them.

It is too early to say whether bomb threats made against several flights to European destinations are linked, European Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said on Thursday, as the EU said it was monitoring the situation closely. The European Commission said it was in close contact with the member states concerned and with the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, EASA.

Tzitzikostas said he had called on national authorities, which are responsible for threat assessment, incident investigations, and implementing appropriate aviation security measures, to work closely with airport operators, airlines, and law enforcement agencies.

He stressed that no conclusions should be drawn about any possible connection between the reported incidents, as national investigations are still underway.