More than a dozen flights across Europe were targeted by bomb threats on Thursday, forcing emergency landings, diversions and military escorts as authorities investigated suspected hoaxes.
According to the Associated Press, no explosives or suspicious materials were found during searches of affected aircraft.
British Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander described the incidents as “malicious hoax threats.”
An Aer Lingus flight travelling from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a French military airbase, where bomb disposal teams inspected the aircraft.
French authorities said fighter jets were sent to intercept the plane after its pilot “didn’t cooperate as expected with the authorities.”
Italian fighter jets also escorted a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome following an emailed bomb threat. The aircraft landed safely.
Three Ryanair flights heading to Bulgaria received military escorts, with two landing in Sofia and another diverted to Plovdiv.
Other affected airlines included LOT Polish Airlines, Wizz Air and Scandinavian Airlines, while police searched four aircraft in Prague without finding anything suspicious.
Some threats reportedly came from groups describing themselves as anti-feminist, although their identities remain unconfirmed.
European Union Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said it was “too early to draw conclusions on whether the reported incidents are linked.”
Authorities are continuing investigations amid heightened security concerns across Europe.
