Bomb scare across Europe: More than 20 flights hit by fake threats

Over a dozen flights were disrupted on Thursday, including four diversions in the Czech Republic and two in Italy, CNN reported.

The November 5 incidents marked the second consecutive day of widespread flight disruptions triggered by bomb threats across Europe.

According to reports, at least seven flights and one cruise ship received bomb threats on November 3.

A representative of Václav Havel Airport in Prague told CNN that anonymous emails had warned of bombs being placed aboard four flights.

A Czech police spokesperson confirmed that the email had been addressed to the airport, adding that similar messages had been sent to other airports across Europe.

In Italy, the threats came in an email from an anti-feminist group calling itself “The Male State” to a logistics hub company working with Rome Fiumicino Airport, CNN reported.

The email, first published by CNN affiliate SkyTG24, falsely claimed that “explosive devices” had been placed aboard two flights — one arriving from Helsinki and the other from Dublin.

Speaking to CNN, Keith Jeffries, a former Federal Security Director at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), said airports had established procedures to handle such threats.

“All airports will have bomb threat management plans, and they’ll train to that plan,” he said, explaining that these protocols enable officials to make decisions within seconds.

What is The Male State?

The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism, a Netherlands-based think tank, has described The Male State as one of Russia’s most notorious misogynist movements and a major online supporter and promoter of the war in Ukraine.

The group was established in Russia in 2016, and a Russian court banned it in 2021.

No European country has so far identified the group or organisation responsible for the latest incidents.

London Heathrow Airport and Birmingham Airport confirmed on Thursday that they had also received threats.

Assuring passengers that their safety was not at risk, Heathrow said in a statement, as quoted by the BBC: “There are robust UK aviation security standards in place to assess and safely manage these types of situations.”

A Birmingham Airport spokesperson told the BBC that the airport had received a threat, following which “processes were immediately initiated in conjunction with emergency services and partners”.

Meanwhile, Austria’s Defence Ministry confirmed that fighter jets had been deployed to escort all affected flights in Austrian airspace amid the bomb threats.

Ministry spokesperson Michael Bauer wrote on X: “Due to bomb threats against civilian aircraft, all affected flights in Austrian airspace were escorted by Eurofighters. #Bundesheer.”

Italy confirmed that fighter jets had earlier escorted a flight into Rome airport, while Bulgaria also deployed jets to escort flights, the BBC reported.

“Any threats against civilians are unacceptable,” EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas wrote on X in response to the incidents.

He added that it was “too early to draw conclusions on whether the reported incidents are linked”.