More than 20 flights across Europe have been disrupted this week due to a series of hoax bomb threats, prompting significant travel delays and, in some instances, military responses.
On Thursday alone, over a dozen flights were affected, with notable incidents including four diversions in the Czech Republic and two in Italy. This marked the second consecutive day of widespread disruption linked to bomb threats.
Previous incidents on Tuesday saw at least seven flights and one cruise ship receiving similar threats. Authorities in the Czech Republic and Italy reported that the threats were communicated via email.
A representative from Václav Havel Airport in Prague confirmed that the threats regarding bombs placed on four flights were sent in an anonymous email. The Czech Police noted that this email was directed to the airport and indicated similar messages were sent to other European airports.
In Italy, threats were sent by an anti-feminist group known as “The Male State” to a logistics hub associated with Rome Fiumicino Airport. According to the group’s email, two flights—one from Helsinki and another from Dublin—were falsely claimed to have explosive devices. A spokesperson for the airport verified the authenticity of the email content shared by CNN.
The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism reported that “The Male State” originated in Russia in 2016 as a misogynist movement and gained notoriety as a supporter of the Ukraine war, later being banned by a Russian court as an extremist organization in 2021.
European authorities typically have training protocols in place for such incidents. Keith Jeffries, a former Federal Security Director at Los Angeles International Airport, emphasized that all airports have bomb threat management plans that enable swift responses to threats. “No aviation authority will ever ignore a bomb threat,” he stated.
Despite the disruptions, the exact source of these threats remains unclear, with no specific group or state identified by European nations as of yet. The European Union stated that it is too early to determine if there is a connection between the incidents.
Security analysts have proposed that the threats might be part of a broader hybrid campaign or a series of malicious hoaxes, with Eric Schouten, head of aviation security group Dyami, suggesting involvement from Russian state actors. He noted that the pattern of disruptions aligns with other malicious activities targeting critical infrastructure in Europe.
Heidi Alexander, the UK’s transport minister, characterized the threats as “malicious hoax,” and noted that established processes for dealing with such claims were activated. All reported threats have been deemed false, with no explosive devices discovered by authorities thus far.
The ongoing situation has necessitated diversions for multiple flights, impacting passengers and crew, including an Aer Lingus flight rerouted to France and flights from Spain and Denmark diverted to Sofia, Bulgaria.
As the situation develops, analysts caution that the threats may serve to create disruption and assess responses from airlines and authorities. Eliran Almog, CEO of aviation cybersecurity firm Cyviation, highlighted that these aviation threats coincided with cyberattacks on essential services across Europe, raising concerns about broader implications for public confidence and economic costs.
