A series of bomb hoaxes grounded nearly 30 passenger flights across Europe on Thursday, causing panic among airline authorities that the incidents could have been part of a terror campaign to destabilise Europe, The Guardian.
The threats targeted airlines such as Easy Jet, LOT, and Aer Lingus, and took place in France, Bulgaria, Romania, Spain, Poland, and Denmark, according to Reuters. “All further searches of the aircraft, the baggage and the passengers were negative,” the airline said, adding that no explosives or suspicious substances were found.
The latest of the repeated attacks comes after at least seven flight threats and a bomb alert over a cruise ship earlier this week.
The perpetrators have not been identified and so far, no group has claimed responsibility. Experts in aviation security said the scale of the incidents and the timing showed the hallmarks of a possible hybrid attack.
“It does fit in the modus operandi,” Dyami head Eric Schouten told Reuters, although he also said it was difficult to see which state was behind a flag operations.
A messaging service threatening flights to Rome was linked to the Russian anti-feminist group Male State, whose founder said he knew nothing about it.
The attacks come against the backdrop of broader European security tensions, including targeted cyberattacks, drone sightings and sabotage plots on vital infrastructure.
Russia and Iran being accused of similar hybrid activities.
