In brief
Bomb threats forced the diversion of more than a dozen flights across Europe on Thursday, with security crews finding no explosives. Authorities say the threats came from anonymous callers and an online post linked to a Brussels student, but investigators have not confirmed any credible danger. The incidents have raised concerns about aviation security but officials emphasize the response was standard procedure.
Bomb threats forced the diversion of more than a dozen flights across Europe on Thursday, as authorities confirmed no explosives were found on any of the aircraft.
According to the Associated Press, agencies in France, Ireland and Italy received a wave of alerts that prompted extra screening of passengers, carry‑on and checked luggage, and a thorough search of the cabins. Air France inspectors boarded a Paris‑to‑Dublin flight before departure and moved the plane to an alternative runway for investigators to examine the cabin, completing the search with no suspicious devices. Similar procedures were carried out on the other targeted carriers, including a Ryanair jet operated on a Dublin‑to‑Rome route.
The threats were traced to anonymous callers and an online posting that investigators linked to a 24‑year‑old Brussels student, who was later questioned by police. The Belgian authorities said the student’s profile provided no indication that the alerts were credible and French police described the incident as “isolated and entirely without basis.”
On the same day, a CNN live‑news report confirmed that bomb threats forced the diversion of a series of flights across Europe, just two days after at least seven flights received similar warnings earlier in the week. The CNN report added that more than a dozen flights from cities such as Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Madrid, Milan and Warsaw were confirmed to have been targeted, though no explosives were discovered.
An ABC7 Chicago article echoed the scale of the disruptions, noting that more than a dozen flights from a variety of European cities were targeted, and airlines were offering meal vouchers and alternative itineraries to stranded passengers.
Authorities continue to investigate the origins of the threats, and the incidents have heightened concerns about aviation security in a region already facing significant travel disruptions. Airline officials reiterated that their response procedures were standard and that the safety of passengers was not compromised.