Bomb Threats Expand to European Broadcasters as New Flights Are Targeted

The update

A new series of bomb threats disrupted flights across Europe on Friday and expanded to media organisations. Czech police registered threats to nine Prague flights, France said four aircraft over its territory were targeted and all landed safely, and Hungarian fighter jets escorted three airliners. Ireland’s broadcaster RTE evacuated staff in Dublin after an emailed threat, Bulgaria’s Nova TV received a similar message, and Britain’s Sky said it received a threat. No explosives were found and no injuries were reported.

Why it matters

Ireland’s government said hoax claims sent to Virgin Media, Newstalk radio and The Irish Independent, alongside the continuing aviation disruption, made a coordinated campaign of disruption likely. The BBC reported that no concrete link has yet been established between the airline and broadcaster messages, and that it is not known who is responsible. More than two dozen flights were disrupted on Thursday alone.

What to watch

Investigators will seek to identify the senders and establish whether the aviation and media threats are connected. Al Jazeera reported Hungary’s defence minister also said NATO had ordered an air patrol near the Hungarian-Romanian border. Airlines, airports and broadcasters will watch for further threats over the weekend. Danish police said threats at Copenhagen airport appeared to pose no danger, and the airport operated normally.

Sources

• bbc.co.uk — confirms the flight threats, Irish media evacuations and that no concrete link has been established yet
• aljazeera.com — confirms the expansion to broadcasters, Hungarian escorts, Prague and French threats and Ireland’s coordinated-campaign assessment

Related coverage

• New Bomb Threats Hit Flights Across Europe, With at Least Eight Prague Services Affected
• Eight Flights Across Europe Hit by Bomb Threats in New Morning Wave
• Four Flights Across Europe Hit by Bomb Threats, No Explosives Found