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Bomb threats disrupted more than a dozen flights across Europe on Thursday, forcing some planes to change course and sending bomb disposal teams to meet others after landing. An Aegean Airlines flight from Thessaloniki to Milan was among those reported targeted. No explosives had been found in the checks reported so far.
None of the flights identified in the reviewed reports was traveling to or from Cyprus. For passengers flying from Larnaca or Paphos with a connection elsewhere in Europe, the disruption is a reason to check both legs of the trip. Aegean flies between Larnaca and Thessaloniki, but the reported threat involved its separate service from Thessaloniki to Milan.
A Rome-bound flight lands at a military base
An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to the Évreux military air base in northern France. The plane landed safely, and French authorities said all 151 passengers and six crew members were moved to a safe location while bomb disposal teams checked the aircraft.
Italian fighter jets escorted a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome, where it landed safely. Another Finnair service from Helsinki, operated by Jettime, received a threat but landed as scheduled in Vienna. In Bulgaria, flights from Copenhagen and Madrid landed safely in Sofia, while a third aircraft from London was diverted to Plovdiv.
Czech police assessed threats against four Prague-bound flights as having low credibility but arranged checks after the planes landed. No explosives were found. In Warsaw, a LOT flight bound for Paris was already taxiing when it was stopped for a security check. The airline moved passengers to another aircraft.
The second wave of alerts this week
At least seven flights and a cruise ship received bomb threats on Tuesday. The alerts prompted searches and diversions, including an unscheduled landing in Poland and a search of a cruise ship in the Greek port of Syros. No devices were found in those incidents, and it remains unclear whether Thursday’s threats are linked to the earlier alerts.
Passengers leaving Cyprus can check their airline for updates on onward connections and use the live arrivals and departures boards for Larnaca and Paphos. Hermes Airports flight information.
