Flights across at least 16 European countries have been disrupted following a wave of bomb threats that forced airlines to divert aircraft, suspend departures and conduct emergency security inspections.
The incidents, which affected countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Spain, Denmark, Italy, Poland and Bulgaria, have prompted the deployment of bomb disposal teams and military fighter jets.
Despite the widespread disruptions, security authorities have so far found no explosives or suspicious materials aboard the affected aircraft.
On Friday, a Ryanair flight landed in Lisbon, Portugal, following a bomb threat reportedly made through a telephone call to authorities. Security personnel immediately launched an inspection after the aircraft arrived.
In another incident, a Wizz Air flight travelling from Paris to Rome was diverted to Venice after an alert was received about a suspected explosive device on board.
Several other incidents were recorded on Thursday.
In Poland, security officials halted a Polish Airlines flight preparing to depart Warsaw for Paris after receiving information about a potentially dangerous object. Passengers were evacuated, but subsequent searches found nothing suspicious.
Another LOT flight scheduled to travel from London Heathrow to Warsaw was diverted to Warsaw-Modlin Airport following a bomb threat.
Italy also deployed fighter jets to escort a Finnair aircraft into Rome after an anonymous bomb-threat email was sent to airport authorities.
Meanwhile, a Ryanair flight travelling from London to Sofia, Bulgaria, was forced to make an emergency landing in Plovdiv.
Spanish authorities also received three bomb-threat emails within 20 minutes, targeting several Air Europa and Iberia flights operating between Madrid, Paris, Rome and Milan.
In Ireland, a flight departing from Cork Airport was delayed for approximately 90 minutes following a security alert.
A separate Ryanair flight travelling from Pescara, Italy, to Charleroi, Belgium, was also affected by a false bomb alarm after the word "bomb" was reportedly discovered written inside an aircraft restroom.
Aviation security officials explained that airlines follow established procedures whenever threats are reported. These include assessing the credibility of the information, diverting aircraft when necessary, evacuating passengers and conducting thorough inspections.
The latest incidents follow another series of suspected hoax bomb threats earlier in the week, when several aircraft across Europe were searched or diverted.
Aviation security expert Philip Baum described the scale and apparent coordination of the latest incidents as unusual, noting that the disruptions could cost airlines as much as $250,000 per affected flight.
The United Kingdom government has described the incidents as malicious hoax threats.
However, European authorities have yet to establish who is responsible or whether the incidents are connected.
European Union officials have cautioned against drawing conclusions about the perpetrators, while some governments remain concerned about the possibility of wider hybrid attacks targeting critical infrastructure.
Russia has denied involvement in the incidents, and no evidence has so far linked Moscow, Iran or groups associated with them to the threats.
Authorities across Europe are continuing investigations as security agencies work to prevent further disruptions to air travel.
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