A sequence of bomb threats against commercial airplanes put European airports and security forces on alert this week. More than 30 flights were affected since Monday (2), with emergency landings, temporary disruptions of operations and the mobilization of military jets. So far, none of the inspections identified explosives.
The scale of the incidents raised suspicions of a possible coordinated campaign to disrupt European air travel. Authorities are investigating the origin of the messages, but they have yet to determine whether the episodes are related nor identify those responsible.
According to Reuters, nearly 30 flights received threats only on Thursday (5), after at least seven similar incidents on Tuesday (3). New alerts were recorded on Friday (6), including four aircraft overflying French territory.
The episode occurs amid rising European concerns about sabotage actions and destabilization operations attributed to foreign agents. However, specialists warn that the proximity between the cases is still insufficient to determine their origin.
Which aircraft were affected?
One of the most high-profile cases involved an Aer Lingus Airbus A320 en route from Dublin, Ireland, to Rome, Italy. After receiving a threat, the aircraft was intercepted by French fighters and diverted to the Évreux military base, west of Paris.
In Italy, a Finnair aircraft flying from Helsinki to Rome received a military escort. In Bulgaria, three Ryanair aircraft from Madrid, Copenhagen and London were also escorted by fighters to landing. One of them had to be redirected to Plovdiv.
The incidents also affected flights bound for Warsaw, Prague, Milan, Bucharest and Vienna, involving carriers such as LOT, Wizz Air, Aegean Airlines and SAS.
In Poland, Modlin airport temporarily suspended operations to allow inspection of an aircraft. In the Czech Republic, police conducted checks on several flights arriving in Prague.
On Friday, the Associated Press reported new alerts in France, Denmark, Portugal and the Czech Republic. A Wizz Air flight between Prague and Rome was diverted to Venice, where passengers disembarked for security procedures.
All aircraft involved in the incidents reported by authorities landed safely.
Who is behind the threats?
One of the main leads under investigation is the content of messages sent by e-mail to airports and airlines.
According to Reuters and the French news agency AFP, some of the alerts received in Italy and Bulgaria were signed by supposed members of a group identified as Male State, linked to an antifeminist movement of Russian origin.
The messages contained threats of explosions and demonstrations against women and what the authors called the feminist regime.
The Male State movement was created in 2016 by Russian blogger Vladislav Pozdnyakov and later banned in Russia. Sought by Reuters, Pozdnyakov said the group no longer exists and denied any involvement in the episodes.
The authenticity of the claim has not been proven. Authorities also have not established whether the e-mails were sent by the same people or whether the movement’s name was used by third parties.
So far, no European government has formally attributed the authorship of the threats to a country or organization.
Is there suspicion of Russian involvement?
The possibility of a destabilization operation drew attention because the alerts occurred simultaneously in different countries, affecting airlines and airports without a clear concentration on a single route.
Security experts interviewed by Reuters said the pattern is compatible with some characteristics of hybrid attacks, a term used to describe actions that aim to harm the functioning of services, institutions or infrastructure without necessarily resorting to a conventional military confrontation.
These operations can involve sabotage, cyberattacks, disinformation and threats aimed at provoking security costs, service disruptions and instability.
Since the start of the war in Ukraine, European governments have accused Russia of participating in various sabotage and hybrid operations. Moscow denies these accusations.
However, history does not necessarily prove that the Russian government is involved in the threats against the planes this week. Reuters notes that other hypotheses, including isolated individuals, people motivated by personal issues or imitators who began reproducing the initial alerts, are also considered.
Why do false threats cause so much mobilization?
Even when there are no explosives, a threat deemed potentially credible requires security procedures that can affect several airports.
Airlines must assess the possibility of diversion, while police and military authorities may determine the isolation of the aircraft, the disembarkation of passengers and the inspection of baggage.
In certain situations, fighter jets are scrambled to accompany the plane and ensure that it follows the instructions of the airspace authorities.
The procedure can interrupt landings and takeoffs, delay connections and move aircraft and crews to airports different from those originally planned.
The number of alerts registered in a few days increases operational impact, especially when several countries must mobilize security teams at the same time.
For the aviation sector, the episodes also create additional costs for fuel, inspections and flight reorganization, although there is not yet a consolidated estimate of losses caused this week.
What remains to be clarified?
The investigations seek to identify the origin of the e-mails, verify possible connections between the alerts and determine whether there was joint planning.
Authorities also need to clarify why some destinations, especially in Italy, Bulgaria and the Czech Republic, repeatedly appeared among the targets.
The sequence of incidents occurs on the eve of meetings of European leaders in Dublin, Ireland. On Friday, the headquarters of Ireland’s public broadcaster RTÉ was evacuated after a bomb threat, according to the Associated Press. Police said they are investigating alerts directed at media organizations.
Despite suspicions of coordination, investigators have not yet released evidence linking these incidents to the aircraft alerts.
