Bulgaria scrambles jets to escort three Ryanair flights after bomb threats

Bulgarian MiG-29 fighter jets escorted three Ryanair passenger flights from London, Copenhagen and Madrid until they landed in Sofia and Plovdiv after bomb threats were received. The incident is part of a wave of threats that forced more than 10 aircraft to land in several European countries, while authorities investigate whether it was a “hybrid attack.”

Bulgarian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jets took off on Thursday, November 5, to escort three Ryanair passenger flights after reports of bombs on board, in the latest episode of a wave of threats disrupting air traffic across Europe and forcing more than 10 aircraft to make emergency or precautionary landings in several countries.

The Bulgarian Defense Ministry said the jets took off as soon as the reports were received and escorted the three aircraft until they landed. The flights were regular passenger services arriving from London, Copenhagen and Madrid, and their crews activated the emergency protocol used when there is a security threat on board instead of following normal landing procedures.

184 passengers landed in Plovdiv instead of Sofia

The London-Sofia flight, carrying 184 passengers, landed around midday on Thursday at an airport near Plovdiv, the country's second-largest city, instead of the capital. The flights from Copenhagen and Madrid were directed to Sofia's Vasil Levski Airport, where they landed safely.

The wave of reports directly affected travelers in more than one country. Aircraft were diverted to other airports, one landed at a French military base, and planes and baggage underwent thorough inspections by bomb-disposal teams before being cleared of any hazardous materials.

This is not the first time Bulgaria has scrambled its fighter jets this autumn. On October 18, an Austrian Airlines aircraft traveling from Tel Aviv to Vienna was diverted to Sofia Airport after a bomb report, and standby MiG-29 jets took off, the Bulgarian News Agency reported. On November 2, a Wizz Air flight traveling from London's Luton Airport to Sofia was diverted to Budapest after receiving a bomb report during the flight and was escorted by a Hungarian fighter jet, Euronews reported.

Passenger aircraft approaching landing (file photo)

From Prague to Copenhagen: The affected countries

According to figures reported by Anadolu Agency, four aircraft landed in Czechia, three each in Bulgaria and Italy, and one each in Belgium and Austria. In Czechia, police said they had received bomb threats targeting four aircraft bound for Prague, adding that they considered the threats unlikely to be credible but were not dismissing them. CNN reported that an anonymous email had been sent to Prague Airport and other airports.

In Italy, a Finnair aircraft from Helsinki landed at Rome's Fiumicino Airport accompanied by Italian Air Force jets before bomb-disposal teams searched it. Stiina Tuonanen, the company's communications director, told Finnish broadcaster Yle that the report was false, adding: “Flight safety is, of course, our top priority. We take this extremely seriously, and our employees are well trained for situations like this.” An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to the Evreux-Fauville air base in France's Normandy region, where it landed safely with 151 passengers and six crew members on board.

In Austria, a Wizz Air aircraft that departed Milan's Malpensa Airport at 7 a.m. local time for Warsaw made an emergency landing in Vienna. Police also tightened screening procedures at the entrances to Salzburg Airport as part of a broad operation, without evacuating the building or disrupting flights. In Belgium, an aircraft from Warsaw landed safely in Brussels, and federal police opened an investigation into whether the incident was linked to the recent reports.

In Poland, a LOT aircraft operating the Warsaw-Paris route and its baggage were searched, with no hazardous materials found. In Denmark, broadcaster DR reported that army bomb-disposal teams searched two aircraft that landed at Copenhagen Airport after two reports that turned out to be false, and that city police had opened an investigation.

“Hybrid attack” theory

The wave followed two false reports targeting aircraft bound for Rome from Lisbon and Dublin on November 3. Reuters and CNN counted at least eight targeted flights departing from Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Madrid, Milan and Warsaw. European authorities are investigating whether the reports form part of a “hybrid attack” and who is behind them. No explosives have been found so far, no group has claimed responsibility, and officials have not accused any party.

Photos: Anadolu Agency / Wikimedia Commons

Bulgaria scrambles jets to escort three Ryanair flights after bomb threats