Two Ryanair flights have been searched following anonymous tips regarding potential bomb threats, hours after several planes were forced into an emergency landing.
Sources told the BBC that the Ryanair flights - one originating from Lisbon and one from Dublin - had been forced into an emergency landing.
It came hours after a bomb scare forced a passenger plane from London to make an emergency landing in Poland on Tuesday, while three other threats grounded flights from Manchester, Copenhagen and Israel.
The Polish airline LOT flight from Heathrow was carrying 181 people when an alert brought it down at Warsaw-Modlin airport. Security services were still verifying the threat and the international airport affected was temporarily closed.
The Boeing 737 MAX had been due to land at Warsaw Chopin airport when the warning came in at 8.54am GMT. Bomb disposal experts reportedly checked the flight and passengers’ luggage after it touched down at Modlin seven minutes later.
The Independent approached Ryanair and London Heathrow for comment.
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In context: Bomb scares compound concern of 'hybrid attacks' on Europe
14:30 , James ReynoldsWhile no one has claimed responsibility for the scares, the incidents reflect growing concerns in Europe about hybrid threats to infrastructure amid growing security tensions since Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
An explosive-laden drone was found near a Ukrainian plane at the Leipzig/Halle airport in east Germany in August, prompting a counterterrorism investigation.
Germany accused Russia of responsibility for the attack.Moscow has repeatedly denied involvement in sabotage or hybrid warfare operations and has not commented on Tuesday’s incidents in Poland.
The incidents come a day after a WizzAir flgiht from London Luton to Bulgaria’s Sofia was diverted to Budapest following a reported mid-air bomb threat. The scare was ultimately shown to be a false alarm.
The four flights affected by bomb threats in Europe today
14:20 , James ReynoldsA bomb scare forced a passenger plane from London to make an emergency landing in Poland on Tuesday, while three other threats grounded flights from Manchester, Copenhagen and Israel.
Here’s what we know:
- A Polish airline LOT Boeing 737 from Heathrow was carrying 181 people when an alert brought it down on Tuesday morning at Warsaw-Modlin airport, diverted from Warsaw Chopin.
- A second bomb threat was reported on a Scandinavian SAS flight from Copenhagen to Warsaw, which was forced to land at Chopin Airport and was also being checked.
- A third threat was reported on a Ryanair flight carrying 114 passengers from Manchester that landed in Murcia in southern Spain, according to Diari ARA.
- Separately, a plane flying from Israel landed at Sofia airport after a bomb threat was received by email, local media reported on Tuesday. Counter-terrorism units were checking the plane for possible explosive devices.
It was not immediately clear whether the threats were linked.
Civil Aviation Authority acknowledges reports of bomb threats on UK flights
14:15 , James ReynoldsA spokesperson for the UK’s civil aviation authority (CAA) tells The Independent that they are aware of the reports of bomb threats on flights departing from the UK.
They say they are unable to comment on the specific incidents.
Two Ryanair flights searched after bomb threat
14:00 , Daniel KeaneHello and welcome to our live coverage.
Two Ryanair flights have been searched following anonymous tips regarding potential bomb threats, hours after several planes were forced into an emergency landing.
Sources told the BBC that the Ryanair flights - one originating from Lisbon and one from Dublin - had been forced into an emergency landing at Rome Fiumicino airport .
It came hours after a bomb scare forced a passenger plane from London to make an emergency landing in Poland on Tuesday, while three other threats grounded flights from Manchester, Copenhagen and Israel.
