Fresh wave of bomb threats disrupts European flights for third day

OPA WIRE, Nov 6 (OPA) — A wave of hoax bomb threats disrupted European aviation on Friday, affecting flights to and from Prague, Sofia, Copenhagen, Rome, and Lisbon. Prague Airport reported at least nine inbound and outbound flights targeted, following a Thursday disruption affecting at least 27 flights across the continent. Hungarian defense officials confirmed that military jets escorted three civilian flights through Hungarian airspace after receiving bomb alerts, including an Airbus A321 traveling from Brussels to Sofia.

Authorities across multiple jurisdictions launched investigations into the coordinated warnings. Danish police reported investigating threats directed at air traffic at Copenhagen Airport without finding immediate danger. French officials confirmed four aircraft flying over French airspace were targeted, while British airports including Heathrow and Birmingham received threats that were later deemed not credible. Broadcasters Sky News in Britain and RTÉ in Ireland also received security threats, with RTÉ evacuating its Dublin campus following an email warning.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin described the morning threats as very serious, noting that such unconventional activities are designed to cause disruption, fear, and anxiety. Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares characterized the continent-wide incidents as hybrid aggression and psychological warfare, pointing to the identical modus operandi across multiple nations. Italian authorities reported that the hoax warnings were sent via email with the subject line 'Threat Notification' and signed on behalf of a far-right movement originating in Russia called the 'Fighters of the Male State'.

European officials have increasingly attributed recent transport disruptions and infrastructure incidents to hybrid attacks and sabotage linked to foreign actors. While bomb squads inspected landing aircraft and multiple flights diverted to alternative airports including Vienna and Venice, no explosives have been recovered in connection with the alerts. Security agencies continue coordination across borders to trace the origins of the email transmissions as airports maintain heightened vigilance.