More bomb threats divert flights, cause disruption across Europe

(Bloomberg) — Airlines were forced to divert more passenger flights through Europe on Thursday due to bomb threats, after a series of warnings disrupted several airliners earlier this week.

A Wizz Air Holdings Plc plane flying from Milan to Warsaw on Thursday was diverted to Vienna after a threat was received during the flight, a spokesman said.

The French prime minister’s office confirmed that a Dublin-Rome flight had been diverted to a base in Évreux in the Normandy region after a bomb threat. The office is monitoring the situation in accordance with procedures.

Aer Lingus confirmed that flight EI402 diverted to Normandy this morning as a safety precaution.

“The flight has landed safely and Aer Lingus will work to get customers back to their final destination as soon as possible,” the Irish carrier said.

A LOT Polish Airlines flight from Warsaw to Paris was stopped while taxiing and directed to a parking stand where it went through a security check, Bulgarian authorities said in an emailed statement. No hazardous materials were found, they said.

There has been no pattern to the flurry of threats this week, whether it’s the carriers targeted or the routes that have been hit. Bomb threats are rare events and almost always end up being a hoax. On average, more than 30,000 flights take place in European skies every day.

At least seven flights were disrupted from Monday to Tuesday by bomb threats, prompting the diversion of hundreds of passengers and fighter jets escorting some planes to the airport. The airlines affected included Wizz, Ryanair Holdings Plc, LOT and Scandinavian Airlines.

No explosives were found and the British government described the incidents as “malicious hoax threats”.

–With assistance from Jenny Che and Jennifer Duggan.

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