More than a dozen flights between European airports have received bomb threats in recent hours and, among them, three operations connected with Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport have forced the activation of protocols, diversion of aircraft, or abortion of takeoffs. The most visible episode has focused on routes originating from or destined for the Spanish capital, while airlines and authorities have confirmed inspections, air escorts, and incident-free landings in most cases.
Early in the day, a flight between Ireland and Italy was diverted to an air base in northern France, as confirmed to Europa Press by the office of the French Prime Minister, Sébastien Lecornu, and the airline Aer Lingus, operator of the aircraft. Later, three Ryanair flights bound for Sofia, including one that had taken off from Madrid, received bomb threats, according to the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior and the Novinite portal. The Bulgarian Ministry of Defense added that it deployed Air Force fighters to escort them.
Two of those planes landed in the Bulgarian capital and the third was diverted to Plovdiv airport, while the company had not publicly commented on the incident. At Barajas, an Air Europa plane bound for Paris was also affected, its takeoff suspended at the last moment when it was already taxiing on the runway, as confirmed by a spokesperson to Europa Press. The aircraft was evacuated without incident.
Airlines activate inspections, but not all alerts confirm real risk
Iberia reported that two of its flights, from Milan and Rome and bound for Madrid, received an explosive threat this morning that turned out to be a false alarm. The company indicated that the alerts were transferred to Barajas airport and that both planes landed normally around 10:00 AM.
The disembarkation of passengers was carried out without incident, added the airline, which placed the operation within its security protocols. LOT Polish Airlines, for its part, explained that two of its flights from Warsaw to Paris and Brussels received "potential security threats" and that immediate measures were applied. In the case of flight LO331 to Paris, the aircraft was stopped during taxiing, moved to a designated position, and subjected, along with the luggage, to an inspection in which no dangerous object was found.
Flight LO235 to Brussels also underwent security checks on board and at its destination. The spokeswoman for Brussels Airport confirmed a "suspicious report," but clarified that the Police did not request additional measures and that the plane landed safely before taking off again. Wizz Air, in another statement, explained that one of its flights between Milan and Warsaw had to be diverted to Vienna due to a bomb threat during the flight. The company emphasized that it acted in accordance with established protocols and is cooperating with authorities.
A wave spreading across Europe as verifications continue
Finnair reported that two flights between Helsinki and Rome, and between Helsinki and Vienna, received bomb threats that later turned out to be unfounded or false. The first landed without incident and Italian authorities found nothing out of the ordinary; the second is still undergoing searches in Vienna, where no findings have been made so far.
The airline specified that the plane that arrived in Rome was carrying 144 passengers and seven crew members, while the one that landed in Vienna was carrying 177 passengers and six crew members. In both cases, the company said that passengers have already disembarked or that the aircraft will return to air traffic once inspections are concluded. The Czech Republic Police added that four flights bound for Prague also received threats, although all landed without incident and bomb disposal experts found nothing suspicious.
These events come two days after seven European flights registered false bomb threats, a chain that forced the activation of security devices in Spain, Poland, Italy, and Bulgaria. In the Spanish case, Murcia airport activated its protocols due to an alert on board a Ryanair flight from Manchester. For now, authorities are keeping inspections open and airlines continue to apply their security procedures, while several affected routes await the complete normalization of traffic.
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