Flights across Europe disrupted by alleged bomb threats

Flights across Europe were disrupted Tuesday after several airlines received alleged bomb threats that turned out to be hoaxes.

The affected airlines included Polish airline LOT, Scandinavian Airlines, and Ryanair, which had multiple flights impacted by the fake threats. In one instance, a Ryanair flight from Lisbon was diverted to Rome's Fiumicino airport after an email claimed there was a bomb on board. The passengers were thoroughly checked by police bomb disposal experts, but no explosives were found.

A Ryanair flight from Dublin, also bound for Rome, received a similar threat via email, prompting an investigation into the authenticity of the claims. The airline's security protocols were triggered, causing delays and diversions that affected many travelers across Europe. Despite the disruptions, there were no reports of injuries or emergency landings.

These recent hoaxes follow a similar incident last month when a flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna made an unexpected landing after receiving a bomb threat.

Italian authorities took swift action after a bomb threat was received by an incoming flight from Tel Aviv to Rome's Fiumicino Airport. The air force escorted the plane to its destination and conducted thorough ground security procedures, but no explosives were found.

In another incident, a Polish airline LOT flight from London's Heathrow airport to Warsaw's Chopin airport was diverted to Modlin airport after receiving a bomb threat. The passengers on board were forced to disembark at Modlin, where they underwent border control before being transported by coach to the original destination.

The search of the aircraft that was diverted to Modlin was completed without finding any evidence of explosives or threats. Passengers who had been on the flight from London were temporarily relocated while their plane underwent further screening.

Modlin airport confirmed that there was no real threat and operations returned to normal after the incident. The airport did not provide any additional information about the nature of the bomb threats that prompted the diversion.

Chopin Airport received a similar warning about a potentially hazardous item on board a Scandinavian Airlines flight from Copenhagen, prompting standard safety procedures to be implemented immediately. One of the airport's runways was closed as a precautionary measure while the situation was assessed.

The investigation into the bomb threat that forced a Ryanair plane to make an unscheduled landing in Spain is ongoing, with officials ruling out the presence of explosives on board.

Passengers from the Manchester-bound flight were evacuated and taken through a security check before being allowed back onto the plane, which was also inspected by authorities. The aircraft had 121 people on board when it landed at Murcia airport in southern Spain.

The incident is just one of several bomb threats that have affected flights across Europe over the past few days, with many turning out to be hoaxes.

Normal operations have since been resumed at the airport and passengers are being provided with care by airline staff after a precautionary runway closure was lifted.