European Airlines Divert After Wave of Bomb Threats Hits Flights and Broadcasters

European travelers faced delays and diversions on Friday as officials confirmed a new round of bomb threats against passenger flights. The alerts also reached three television broadcasters, marking a shift from threats limited to the skies. No suspicious items were found, and no injuries were reported across the affected operations.

The disruption has built over several days. Eurocontrol, the European air traffic authority, tracked 14 flights facing bomb threats on Thursday. That number represented 0.05% of the nearly 26,300 flights operating across the European network that day. Seven flights received similar threats on Tuesday. Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the European Union's transportation commissioner, announced on Friday that 11 additional flights were targeted.

Prague emerged as a focal point for the threats. Denisa Hejtmánková, a spokesperson for Václav Havel Airport, stated that nine of the affected flights were either arriving from or departing to the Czech capital. These included routes from Denmark, Spain, and Britain, as well as departures to the Netherlands, Britain, Cyprus, Italy, and Romania. Czech police reported that security measures had a minimal impact on normal airport operations.

In Hungary, defense minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi said fighter jets escorted three passenger planes through national airspace on Friday. The escorts followed bomb threats against flights from Brussels to Sofia, and from Prague to Cyprus and Romania. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu's office reported four bomb threats against aircraft flying over France. Those planes landed safely at Paris' Orly Airport, where bomb disposal experts conducted inspections.

Other affected routes included a Tarom flight from Prague to Bucharest and a Ryanair flight from Lisbon to Rome. A WizzAir flight from Prague to Rome diverted to Venice after receiving a bomb alert. Passengers were evacuated once the aircraft landed. In Denmark, police deployed to Copenhagen airport for a second consecutive day as a precautionary measure, confirming there was no danger to passengers.

Authorities have not identified the group or state actor behind the threats. An email sent to Rome airport authorities on Thursday, reviewed by The Associated Press, claimed to come from an anti-feminist group targeting a feminist regime. A similar threat with matching wording reached another European airport, but it remains unclear if the sender is the same. Robert Jordan, research director at the Royal United Services Institute, noted that secure messaging apps have increased the anonymity of such threats.

The threats have extended to the media sector. In Ireland, the Dublin headquarters of national broadcaster RTE was evacuated on Friday after a bomb threat. Live broadcasts were replaced with prerecorded programs for a few hours until police with sniffer dogs cleared the building. Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin said the incidents illustrate how simple it is to cause disruption through unconventional activities.

Sky, a U.K.-based broadcaster, also received a security threat. The company stated it is working closely with authorities to ensure staff and operations remain secure, and its news channel stayed on air. In Bulgaria, private broadcaster NOVA TV received an email on Friday threatening a bomb. The sender claimed responsibility for the threats to European air traffic, and the broadcaster implemented standard safety measures without interrupting its broadcasts.

Paul Reuter, vice president of the European Cockpit Association, said pilots are prepared to respond professionally to such threats. He noted that crews review procedures with cabin staff, identify potential diversion airports, and may carry extra fuel. Tzitzikostas said security experts will meet in Brussels next week to discuss measures needed to address the recent rash of bomb threats.