Why European flights are being targeted by bomb threats, and how Greece is caught in the crisis

A wave of bomb threats targeting European passenger aircraft has triggered widespread security alerts, flight diversions and extensive police operations, with aviation experts warning that the scale and frequency of the incidents could point to a coordinated campaign designed to disrupt air travel.

At least 25 flights across Europe were affected on Thursday, according to the latest Reuters reports, following a series of similar incidents earlier in the week that resulted in eight aircraft being grounded.

Although every threat investigated so far has proved false, the geographical spread of the warnings and the involvement of numerous airlines have raised concerns about the possibility of an organised operation rather than isolated hoaxes.

The incidents come against a backdrop of heightened geopolitical tensions, cyberattacks and drone incursions into European airspace, prompting questions about whether aviation infrastructure is becoming another target in a broader campaign of disruption.

Aviation industry sources also point to the growing role of artificial intelligence in the economy, warning that cybersecurity challenges are likely to intensify as technology becomes increasingly embedded in critical infrastructure.

Airports and airlines have traditionally been attractive targets for cybercriminals and other malicious actors. Industry representatives note that waves of threats across Europe can also encourage copycat incidents, potentially extending disruption to additional countries, including Greece.

Among the latest incidents were two flights operated by Greek carrier Aegean Airlines , one travelling from Thessaloniki to Milan and the other from Athens to Vienna.

The airline confirmed that it had received bomb threats concerning flight A3552 from Thessaloniki to Milan and flight A3860 from Athens to Vienna.

Both aircraft landed normally at their destinations, where the relevant authorities implemented the required security procedures. No suspicious devices were discovered, and the threats were subsequently declared unfounded.

In its official statement, Aegean said it had immediately coordinated with the competent authorities and followed all established security protocols. Once the checks had been completed and the threats confirmed to be false, the aircraft departed from the respective airports.

“The safety of our passengers and crews is and will continue to be our highest priority,” the airline said.

According to Italian news agency ANSA, the Aegean flight from Thessaloniki landed at Milan Malpensa Airport at 9.33am.

Another bomb threat was reported involving Ryanair flight FR8953, which departed Porto, Portugal, and arrived at Malpensa at 10.22am.

Police bomb disposal specialists were deployed at the Italian airport, where the aircraft were evacuated and checks were conducted on passengers and staff.

Bomb threats involving commercial aircraft remain relatively rare and almost invariably turn out to be hoaxes. More than 30,000 flights operate across European airspace on an average day.

Nevertheless, the sudden concentration of incidents has alarmed aviation authorities, particularly amid wider concerns about cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration systems, drone incursions and escalating geopolitical tensions.

The scale of Thursday’s disruption represented a significant escalation compared with earlier incidents.

According to Reuters, at least 25 European flights were affected by bomb threats, just days after similar warnings resulted in eight aircraft being grounded.

Police and counterterrorism units were mobilised to inspect aircraft arriving at airports in Italy, Poland, France, Austria, Bulgaria, Romania and the Czech Republic.

In several cases, pilots were forced to divert to alternative airports after threats were received while their aircraft were already airborne.

Airlines affected by the latest wave included Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air, Aer Lingus, Aegean, Finnair and Poland’s LOT.

All the warnings investigated by the relevant authorities have so far proved false.

However, the number of incidents marked a sharp increase from Tuesday, when seven flights were grounded following false bomb warnings. Another incident had been reported on Monday.

The rapid succession of threats has raised fears that the primary objective may be to cause widespread operational disruption, rather than target a particular aircraft or destination.

An Aer Lingus flight travelling from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a military airbase at Évreux in France, where authorities carried out a security inspection of the aircraft.

A Wizz Air service from Milan to Warsaw was also diverted after a bomb threat was received while the aircraft was airborne.

The airline confirmed that the flight was redirected to Vienna.

Another Wizz Air aircraft, operating a service from Milan to Bucharest, landed safely in the Romanian capital before undergoing security checks.

In Bulgaria, a Ryanair flight from London Stansted to Sofia was diverted to nearby Plovdiv Airport on Thursday morning following a similar warning.

Two additional Ryanair flights bound for Sofia, which had departed Copenhagen and Madrid, were inspected after landing.

At Milan Malpensa Airport, security operations were launched in response to threats involving the Aegean service from Thessaloniki and the Ryanair flight from Porto.

A flight from Warsaw to Paris underwent checks following a warning received by the airline, while another LOT service heading to Brussels received a bomb threat while airborne and was inspected after landing.

One of the most striking incidents occurred in Italy, where Italian Air Force fighter jets escorted a Finnair flight travelling from Helsinki to Rome after a threat was issued during the journey.

A second Finnair service bound for Vienna, operated by JetTime, also received a false bomb warning but landed safely, according to the airline.

In the Czech Republic, police reported threats involving four flights scheduled to arrive at Prague Airport.

Authorities said they considered the likelihood of the threats being genuine to be low.

Two of the aircraft were easyJet services departing Glasgow and Newcastle, the airline confirmed.

My statement on Reported Bomb Threats Affecting European Flights https://t.co/dWcLSVz82b

The unprecedented concentration of incidents prompted a coordinated response at European level.

European Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism Apostolos Tzitzikostas announced that the European information-sharing mechanism had been activated following the wave of threats.