Europe on alert: Bomb threats against four flights divert planes and temporarily close Warsaw-Modlin Airport
Four flights bound for Warsaw, Murcia and Sofia received bomb threats on Tuesday, forcing the planes to be diverted, temporarily closing Warsaw-Modlin Airport and triggering security protocols in several countries.
Ryanair passenger planes on the runway at Stansted Airport, north of London
Four flights in Europe were the target of bomb threats on Tuesday, forcing the temporary closure of an airport in Warsaw, Poland, although all planes landed without incident and no explosives were found, according to authorities.
Two bomb threats targeted flights bound for the Polish capital. According to AFP, one involving an SAS Scandinavian Airlines flight from Copenhagen, Denmark, and another from Heathrow Airport in London, U.K., operated by the Polish airline LOT. In a third case, Aena, the Spanish airport operator, activated an emergency protocol "due to a bomb threat" on a Ryanair from Manchester, U.K., to Murcia, Spain. A fourth flight operated by Wizz Air from Bergamo Airport in Milan, Italy, was inspected after landing in Sofia, Bulgaria.
Warsaw temporarily closes airports
The SAS flight landed normally at Warsaw Chopin Airport, where a runway was closed while the plane underwent a security inspection; no explosives were found. The LOT flight, which was also scheduled to arrive at Chopin, was diverted to the Polish capital's other airport, Warsaw-Modlin, which was closed following the alert.
"The passengers were evacuated, and the plane underwent security checks. Nothing was found," Adam Szablowski, a spokesperson for Modlin Airport, told AFP. "The airport has reopened and is operating normally."
Scandinavian Airlines confirmed that "a threat was made against flight SK751 between Copenhagen and Warsaw."
Spain and Bulgaria also affected
The Ryanair flight landed without incident in Murcia and the emergency plan was deactivated following inspections by the Spanish Civil Guard. In Bulgaria, a Wizz Air flight from Bergamo was inspected after landing at 12:10 p.m. local time in Sofia, a spokesperson for the Bulgarian Ministry of the Interior confirmed to AFP.
Tuesday's incidents came a day after fighter jets were scrambled when a Wizz Air flight from London's Luton Airport to Sofia was diverted following a bomb threat and forced to make an emergency stop in Budapest, Hungary. Hungarian Minister of Defense Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi stated on Facebook that NATO had issued an alert for that flight and that the Gripen of the Hungarian Defense Forces took off "within minutes" to ensure the aircraft's safe landing in Budapest.
A recurring pattern
The recurrence of these alerts—which so far have not confirmed the existence of actual devices—raises questions about whether this is a coordinated campaign of false alarms or isolated incidents. Authorities in the affected countries are following protocols of maximum caution, prioritizing passenger safety even if it means temporary airport closures and flight diversions.
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