Several passenger flights across Europe have been disrupted this week following a series of bomb threats. This has prompted diversions, emergency security procedures and aircraft inspections.
On Thursday, multiple flights were affected. A flight travelling from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a French air force base, while a Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw was rerouted to Vienna after receiving a bomb threat. Similar incidents were reported earlier in the week, with several aircraft searched as a precaution.
The growing number of threats has caught the attention of the aviation industry. Air France-KLM CEO Benjamin Smith called the recent bomb threats unprecedented. He said the incidents appear to be coordinated, setting them apart from previous security threats. Despite the disruptions, Smith said there is currently no indication that travellers are changing their flying habits. “We hope it doesn’t cause consumers to fly less, but we aren’t seeing that yet”, he said.
According to Air France-KLM, none of its flights has been directly affected so far. The airline group says it is well prepared to respond to security threats and has expressed confidence that the incidents will not significantly impact its operations.
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