Hoax bomb threats disrupted dozens of passenger flights across Europe on Thursday, forcing several aircraft to make unscheduled landings while others were escorted or intercepted by fighter jets. The incidents marked a significant escalation following an initial wave of threats earlier in the week.
No explosives have been discovered, and all affected aircraft have landed safely.
Danish police said on Friday they were investigating threats targeting air traffic at Copenhagen Airport. However, their initial assessment indicated that passengers had not been exposed to any danger. Airport authorities said operations were continuing as normal.
Meanwhile, Czech police confirmed receiving bomb threats involving flights arriving at and departing from Prague Airport.
An airport spokesperson said the threats concerned four incoming and five outgoing flights. No explosive devices were found, and the incidents did not result in any cancellations or diversions.
However, an Italian airport authority source later confirmed that a Wizz Air flight travelling from Prague to Rome had been diverted to Venice, where it landed safely.
The French prime minister’s office also reported four additional bomb threats targeting aircraft flying over French territory. All affected planes landed without incident.
Separately, a security alert was triggered after a Ryanair flight travelling from Rome to Lisbon received a bomb threat. The aircraft underwent security checks after landing, according to CNN Portugal.
Security experts said the pattern of threats suggested a possible coordinated “hybrid attack”. However, they cautioned that some incidents could involve copycat threats or individuals acting out of personal grievances.
Although no country has been formally blamed for the incidents, the threats come amid a broader series of suspected sabotage operations across Europe. Previous targets have included electricity substations in Germany, defence-related facilities in the Baltic region, supermarket refrigeration systems in France and Leipzig Airport in Germany.
Several European officials have linked the suspected campaign to the continent’s support for Ukraine in its war against Russia, accusing Moscow of carrying out hybrid operations designed to disrupt essential services while remaining difficult to trace and unlikely to provoke a direct military response.
Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares told national broadcaster TVE that investigations would take time but said the repeated incidents appeared to follow a similar pattern.
He described the developments as a possible form of hybrid aggression and psychological warfare, warning that European countries should prepare for further challenges.
On Thursday, an Italian airport authority source said bomb threats had been sent to several airlines and airport operators in Rome and Milan. The messages reportedly claimed to have been sent by members of a group calling itself “Male State”.
However, the origin of the emails could not be independently verified, and there was no immediate indication of who was responsible for the other threats across Europe.
Vladislav Pozdnyakov, a Russian blogger who founded the anti-feminist movement Male State in 2016, denied any involvement. He said the group had ceased to exist and had no connection to the threats.
