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At least seven flights and a cruise ship in Europe received bomb threats on Nov. 3. The threats prompted flight diversions, airport restrictions and extensive security checks. Searches found no explosives, and no group claimed responsibility for the incidents, AnewZ reported.
The threats affected flights bound for Warsaw, Sofia, Rome and Murcia, Spain. Security checks were carried out at several airports, where temporary restrictions were imposed.
In Poland, a LOT Polish Airlines plane arriving from London was diverted from Warsaw Chopin Airport to nearby Warsaw Modlin Airport. Modlin Airport was temporarily closed while the aircraft was searched. No explosives were found.
A SAS flight from Copenhagen to Warsaw landed at Chopin Airport as scheduled. The airport remained operational after security checks found no suspicious device.
In Bulgaria, two flights bound for Sofia, from Milan Bergamo and Dublin, received bomb threats. The Wizz Air plane from Italy was carrying 176 passengers, while the Ryanair flight from Ireland had 186 people on board. Both aircraft landed safely, and searches found no explosives.
A day earlier, a Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia was diverted to Budapest following a similar threat.
In Spain, parts of Murcia Airport were cordoned off after a bomb threat against a Ryanair flight from Manchester to Murcia. Authorities later said the alert was false, and normal operations resumed at the airport.
Two Ryanair planes arriving at Rome Fiumicino Airport from Lisbon and Dublin were also searched. The Dublin flight was escorted by the Italian Air Force before landing and arrived safely. Officials said both incidents were resolved without disrupting other flights.
The security alerts also extended to maritime transport. An unidentified caller said a bomb had been attached to the hull of the Crown Iris cruise ship, which sails under the Panamanian flag. A search was conducted aboard the vessel near the Greek island of Syros, involving a bomb-detection dog and divers.
Initial checks found no explosives. Coast guard specialists were expected to conduct further inspections before the ship, which was bound for Israel, continued its voyage.
Aviation security experts said the number of threats recorded in a single day was unusually high and raised questions about whether the incidents were coordinated.
Rhys Jones, analytics manager at aviation risk consultancy Osprey Flight Solutions, told Reuters that seven confirmed bomb threats against flights in one day was exceptional. “The lack of a clear target country, airline or route suggests the aim is to cause widespread disruption to aviation operations,” he said.
The incidents come amid growing concern in Europe about suspected hybrid attacks and sabotage targeting transport networks and critical infrastructure. Earlier this week, unidentified hackers attacked supermarket refrigeration systems in several European countries, causing food to spoil.
Some security experts said the bomb threats could be part of broader efforts to cause disruption at relatively low cost. However, no evidence has emerged linking the incidents to those attacks.
European officials have previously accused Russia and Iran of conducting hybrid operations. Both countries have denied the allegations.
Eric Schouten, head of aviation security group Dyami, told Reuters: “From railways to the food infrastructure we have seen with the hacking of refrigerators and other operations, these fit the pattern of Russian state actors seeking to disrupt Europe.”
