Hoax Bomb Threats Hit Dozens of European Flights in Third Wave This Week

Hoax bomb threats hit at least 14 to 25 European flights on Thursday, the third wave this week, bringing the weekly total to more than 20 to 30 planes depending on the outlet. Searches found no explosives. An Aer Lingus plane carrying 151 passengers from Dublin to Rome was diverted and escorted by French military aircraft to Évreux air base west of Paris, and the office of French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said it was watching closely. Italian air force jets escorted Finnair Flight 1761 from Helsinki into Rome's Fiumicino airport, where a bomb squad searched it. Threats also targeted three Ryanair flights to Sofia, one from London that was diverted to Plovdiv, four planes bound for Prague, and flights from Warsaw, Milan and Copenhagen. Italian-language emails went to the Rome airport company ADR and to Milan Malpensa airport. Emails to Rome-bound flights were signed by a group calling itself Fighters of the Male State. British Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander called the threats a malicious hoax. No intelligence yet points to a specific group or state actor.

The right-leaning New York Post and Daily Wire lead with the Male State emails and their anti-feminist language, and the Post notes that Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni is a prominent female leader. The Post says many leaders blame Russia and ties the signature to a Russian movement labeled extremist in 2021. The Daily Wire adds the Belgian baggage company, the Sofia and Prague flights, and Alexander's comment. The left-leaning Guardian and CBS News give a broader picture. CBS cites at least 15 flights Thursday, while the Guardian says at least 25 threats. The Guardian stresses that no group or state is identified and that hoaxers can easily find flight data online. Both sides agree on the scale and the lack of explosives. They differ on the weight given to the group and to Russia. The BBC, listed as alternative, similarly says there is no hard evidence linking Russia or Iran.