Authorities in Denmark, the Czech Republic and Romania investigated fresh security threats on Friday as a series of suspected hoax bomb alerts targeting flights disrupted air travel across Europe.
A Romanian Tarom flight travelling from Prague to Bucharest received a bomb threat during its journey, prompting security concerns. The aircraft landed at its intended destination, where airport officials confirmed that the threat was false.
In Denmark, police said that they had maintained a presence at Copenhagen Airport for a second consecutive day in response to threats directed at air traffic.
Their initial assessment found no danger to passengers or other people at the airport, with flights continuing safely and without disruption. “It is our immediate assessment that there has been no danger to passengers or others at the airport,” Danish police said, adding that operations were proceeding normally.
Czech police also reported renewed threats against aircraft on Friday, saying they had introduced security measures in coordination with Prague’s Václav Havel Airport.The authorities said that the measures were designed to address the threats while limiting disruption to airport operations.
A Bulgarian transport ministry spokesperson disclosed that alerts were also received for two flights to Sofia on Friday, and that both flights coming in from London Stansted Airport in Britain and from Brussels landed safely. Looking at the airport’s arrivals board, that would be W64328 from Brussels and FR1730 from London Stansted.
Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi said on Facebook that Hungary’s fighter jets have also been scrambled three times this morning to escort civilian flights in Hungarian airspace after reported bomb threats. He said that the first alert came in response to a threat issued against a WizzAir flight from Brussels to Sofia (W64328), and two more for flights from Prague to Cyprus and Bucharest.
Ireland Broadcaster Evacuated After Bomb Threat
The security concerns extended beyond aviation to Ireland, where the headquarters of national broadcaster RTÉ in Dublin was evacuated on Friday following a bomb threat.
The broadcaster suspended live programming and replaced its broadcasts with pre-recorded material while the situation was assessed.
Bomb threats against Irish media organisations disrupted broadcasts and prompted staff evacuations and police searches. RTÉ Radio One’s Today With David McCullagh went off air this morning and was replaced with music as staff huddled outside buildings at the national broadcaster’s Donnybrook campus.
Staff at other outlets including Newstalk Radio, Today FM, Virgin Media and the Irish Independent were also evacuated. Radio One’s regular broadcast returned to air at 10.13am. “It has been quite an interesting morning on RTÉ,” McCullagh said.
The email, received before 9am, said an explosion would detonate within 45 minutes, said McCullagh. Police with sniffer dogs remained at the campus. The Taoiseach, Micheál Martin, told the programme that such threats had to be taken seriously and that Ireland’s police and defence forces would seek to identify those responsible. He said, “It shows how relatively simple it can be to cause disruption and undermine the normal operation of society.”
The emailed threats came after separate threats to airlines on Thursday disrupted dozens of flights across Europe.
Ireland’s police force, An Garda Síochána, said it was aware of threats directed at media organisations in Ireland and elsewhere in Europe. It said officers were liaising with media organisations and would investigate the threats.
The evacuation added to a series of security incidents reported across the continent in recent days, raising concerns about the potential impact of repeated false alerts on public services and transport operations.
More Than Two Dozen Flights Affected
More than two dozen flights were affected by threats earlier in the week, with some aircraft diverted as authorities carried out security checks to establish whether there was any danger.
Although the latest incidents have not been confirmed as genuine attacks, the frequency of the threats has placed additional pressure on airport security and emergency response teams.
Authorities have had to assess each report while seeking to minimise disruption to passengers and normal airport operations.
False bomb threats are not uncommon, but the concentration of incidents over a short period has drawn particular attention.
The developments come amid heightened geopolitical tensions and warnings from European authorities about the possibility of increased hybrid threats against countries across the region.
Such threats can include cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, sabotage and other activities intended to disrupt public institutions and essential services.
European countries have also reported other forms of disruption in recent months, including attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems, drone incursions and unexplained activations of public alert applications.
While the incidents have raised questions about possible links to wider security tensions, the information available does not establish that the flight threats or the evacuation at RTÉ were coordinated or connected to any particular state.
Authorities continue to investigate the reported incidents as European airports and public institutions remain alert to further security threats.
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