European airlines absorb costs of multi-day bomb threat disruption

European air travel faced continued operational strain on Thursday as a second consecutive day of bomb threats forced carriers to delay or divert at least 27 flights.

The disruption follows an initial incident on Tuesday that impacted seven aircraft across the continent. Airlines including Ryanair, Aer Lingus, Wizz Air, Finnair, EasyJet, Aegean Airlines, Iberia, Sky Express, Air Serbia, and LOT reported affected services. The threats touched routes connecting Italy, Ireland, the UK, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Finland, Austria, Denmark, Belgium, Portugal, France, Greece, Serbia, and Czechia. All aircraft landed safely, and subsequent searches found no suspicious items.

Specific financial and logistical impacts varied by carrier. A Ryanair flight from London Stansted to Cork was delayed by 90 minutes after the airport received an anonymous phone call at 6:00 a.m. Gardaí officers examined the Boeing 738, which carried up to 180 passengers, before declaring the threat a hoax. In a separate incident, an Aer Lingus plane traveling from Dublin to Rome was diverted to the Évreux-Fauville airbase in Normandy. The aircraft, which carried 151 passengers and six crew members, was escorted by a fighter jet before bomb disposal teams took over the inspection.

Passenger experience has become a focal point for the airlines managing the crisis. Katie McAteer, a passenger on the diverted Aer Lingus flight, told RTÉ Radio that the pilot announced a problem with the plane roughly an hour into the journey. She described the sight of a fighter pilot flying alongside the commercial jet as scary and the overall situation as terrifying. The pilot later informed the cabin that the threat likely lacked credibility, which McAteer said was relieving, though the uncertainty remained a source of stress for travelers.

Government officials are coordinating a response to the economic and security ripple effects. Helen McEntee, the Minister for Defence, described the rapid succession of events as extremely concerning. She emphasized the need to identify those responsible to mitigate further disruption and fear. The EU transport commissioner, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, stated that threats against civilians are unacceptable but noted that it is too early to definitively link the incidents. He said the commission is closely monitoring the situation while working with national ministers to determine if the threats are connected.

The timing of the disruption coincides with broader geopolitical tensions. European officials have previously attributed similar low-cost, deniable acts of sabotage to Russia and Iran, though both Moscow and Tehran deny involvement. This week, unidentified hackers also shut down refrigerators in supermarkets across several European countries. Some experts suggest the hoax bomb threats may follow a similar pattern of disruption. With 55 heads of state scheduled to convene in Ireland next week, authorities state that all measures will be taken to ensure security and safety during the summit.