False bomb alerts disrupt flights and cruise voyage across Europe

At least seven passenger flights and an Israel-bound cruise ship were subjected to bomb alerts across Europe on Tuesday, triggering emergency security procedures but producing no evidence of explosives. All affected aircraft landed safely, while authorities in several countries investigated whether the warnings were connected. The incidents involved Ryanair, Wizz Air, Scandinavian Airlines and LOT flights, according to Al Jazeera.

Ryanair appeared to be the most frequently affected carrier, with four flights targeted. The BBC reported that two of the seven aircraft had departed from the United Kingdom. In Italy, two Eurofighter jets escorted Ryanair flight FR9611 from Dublin to Rome’s Fiumicino Airport after authorities received a report of a suspected threat on board.

The aircraft landed at 10:45 local time. An earlier Ryanair flight from Lisbon was also searched at Fiumicino; inspections of the passengers, baggage and aircraft were negative, the airport operator said. A Ryanair flight from Manchester was examined after landing in Murcia, Spain.

Airport operator Aena said it activated an emergency protocol, while the BBC reported that fire engines, police and a bomb squad attended the aircraft. One passenger told the BBC she was not informed during the flight and was later asked to leave the plane while checks were carried out. Poland saw two Warsaw-related alerts.

Scandinavian Airlines flight SK751 from Copenhagen landed normally at Warsaw Chopin Airport, where a runway was closed while the aircraft was inspected. A LOT flight from London Heathrow was diverted to Warsaw Modlin Airport, which was briefly closed after the warning. Officials at Modlin said nothing was found and normal operations later resumed.

Two flights arriving in Sofia, Bulgaria, from Bergamo and Dublin were also checked. Bulgaria’s border police said an email reported an improvised explosive device on the Bergamo flight and a similar threat against the Dublin service. Neither aircraft was diverted and no explosives were found, according to the Bulgarian transport minister and the Interior Ministry.

The UK Metropolitan Police said it had received threats involving four aircraft due to depart from or arrive at Heathrow, as well as another warning involving a Manchester flight. After checks, police said no security issues were identified. The UK government described the incidents as malicious hoax threats.

Separately, the Panama-flagged Crown Iris was evacuated while anchored off the Greek island of Syros. The ship, carrying about 1,500 people and bound for Haifa, was searched without explosives being found and was expected to resume its voyage. The BBC put the number aboard at 1,537.

The warnings followed a similar incident on Monday, when a Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Sofia was diverted to Budapest and escorted by Hungarian fighter jets after a bomb threat. No country has attributed the latest alerts or said officially that they were coordinated. Aviation-risk analyst Rhys Jones told Reuters that seven confirmed threats in one day was exceptional and could indicate an aim of broadly disrupting aviation operations, while the BBC cited an expert who said the pattern appeared unusually deliberate.