Prague, Nov. 7 – European aviation confronted renewed disruption Friday as bomb threats reached newsrooms and flights amid escalating European flight hoaxes. Emails from a purported Mikhail Andropov claimed responsibility for the widening wave, issuing a warning to the West and targeting outlets in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and Bulgaria after days of false alerts on passenger services.
Earlier this week, roughly half a dozen flights faced disruption Tuesday while more than two dozen were affected Thursday across multiple nations. Some aircraft made unplanned landings, and others received fighter jet escorts to destinations, yet thorough searches found no explosive devices on any aircraft.
Friday brought further threats as Danish police investigated alerts directed at Copenhagen Airport traffic and confirmed no danger to passengers, with operations continuing normally. Czech police registered bomb threats against nine flights departing from or arriving in Prague, resulting in no cancellations. Hungarian jets escorted airliners from Brussels to Sofia and Prague routes to Bucharest and Cyprus, while NATO ordered an air patrol near the Hungarian-Romanian border.
These events mark the third consecutive day of airline threats this week across Europe, with all inspected aircraft free of suspicious items. Authorities continue investigating the coordinated European flight hoaxes that have triggered multi-country security responses and highlighted ongoing challenges for European air travel security.