At least 14 European flights were targeted by bomb threats on Thursday, with several planes receiving fighter jet escorts.
At least 17 flights throughout Europe were targeted by bomb threats on Thursday, throwing airports into chaos.
Fighter jets were deployed to escort multiple passenger planes and others have been diverted following reports of explosive devices on board, authorities and airlines have said.
A flight into Rome from Helsinki was accompanied by Italian fighter jets at about 9.30am local time, following reports of a bomb threat.
Bomb disposal teams were deployed to inspect the Finnair aircraft after it landed at Fiumicino Airport and no explosives were found.
Authorities in Rome said the threats were received via email and signed by “Fighters of the Male State”, according to the BBC.
The writers claimed they wanted to “make our mark on history” and were targeting a “feminist regime”.
Three Ryan Air flights bound for the Bulgarian capital Sofia were also escorted by fighter jets following reported bomb threats.
MiG-29 jets “intercepted and escorted” the three aircraft which had departed from London, Madrid and Copenhagen on Thursday morning, the Bulgarian airforce said.
The flight departing from London had to be diverted to Plovdiv, while the other two landed safely in Sofia.
An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome had to be diverted to an airbase near Paris after air traffic control informed crew of a bomb-on-board threat.
Four flights bound for Prague in the Czech Republic were also reportedly targeted by threats of an “improvised explosive device” but no suspicious items were found on board.
A similar situation played out on a flight from Warsaw to Brussels with no dangerous items found on board after a search.
Passengers on a flight from Milan to Bucharest had to be evacuated after a bomb threat was received there.
This is the second time this week that mass bomb alerts have been phoned in to airlines, with low-cost carriers appearing to be a particular target.
On Tuesday, seven commercial flights were searched for explosives in the wake of annoynmous threats. None were found.
Authorities are investigating whether the threats are linked and part of a co-ordinated attack.
The UK’s Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander on Thursday said “we understand these have been malicious hoax threats”.
She said the government is taking them seriously and that “established processes for dealing with hoax and malicious threats,” are being followed.
