In brief
Seven flights in Europe received bomb threats on Tuesday, sparking security sweeps at multiple airports. Two Ryanair planes from Dublin and Lisbon were inspected in Rome after Italian air‑force escort, while Scandinavian and LOT flights were also searched. Authorities in Poland, Spain and Bulgaria investigated additional planes, but no explosives were discovered.
Seven passenger flights across Europe were hit with bomb threats on Tuesday, triggering exhaustive security checks but no explosives were found.
Two Ryanair flights – one from Dublin and the other from Lisbon, Portugal – were searched after both landed in Rome, with the Italian air force escorting the Dublin aircraft until it touched down.
A Scandinavian Airlines flight from Copenhagen and a Polish LOT plane operating from London Heathrow were also inspected, and authorities arranged further checks of planes in Poland, Spain and Bulgaria.
The British government has described the incidents as “malicious hoax threats,” according to United Press International.
Paul Mason, an aviation security expert, told BBC Radio 5 Live that the threats had been “made in a credible manner across a broad range of airlines,” suggesting a deliberate act by a single actor.
"It sounds like the threats have been made in a credible manner across a broad range of airlines," Mason told BBC Radio 5 Live.
A passenger named Sarah reported the experience to BBC Radio, describing the abrupt stop and evacuation on the runway.
"The plane stopped quite suddenly and then we were kept on the runway for around 30 minutes. Then the fire engines turned up, the bomb squad turned up and we were asked to evacuate," she said.
The incidents, which involved flights from various European cities including Dublin, Lisbon, Copenhagen, and London Heathrow, have not yet revealed any explosives, and authorities continue to search for the source of the threats.
