Bomb threats trigger security alerts at three European airports

Authorities launched security operations at airports in Spain, Poland and Bulgaria on Tuesday after bomb threats involving passenger flights prompted inspections and temporary disruptions.

In Spain, security officials began inspecting a Ryanair aircraft after it received a bomb threat while travelling from Manchester to the southeastern city of Murcia.

Francisco Lucas, the Spanish government’s representative in Murcia, confirmed that security procedures had been activated after the aircraft landed at Murcia International Airport.

All 114 passengers and seven crew members safely disembarked and were taken through security checks. Authorities also began searching the aircraft to determine whether any explosives were on board.

Airport operator Aena confirmed that the plane landed as scheduled at Corvera Airport. Other flights continued operating normally despite the security alert.

Meanwhile, Poland’s Warsaw-Modlin Airport was temporarily closed following a bomb threat involving a flight from London.

The Boeing 737 MAX, which was travelling from London Heathrow to Warsaw Chopin Airport, was diverted to Modlin and landed at 10:01am local time with 181 people on board.

Airport authorities directed the aircraft to a designated area while security personnel investigated the threat. Passengers began disembarking and were asked to wait in the arrivals hall as checks continued.

A separate security alert was reported in Bulgaria after authorities received an emailed bomb threat involving a passenger aircraft arriving from Israel.

The plane made an emergency landing at Sofia Airport, where counterterrorism officers were deployed to inspect it. Bulgarian National Radio reported the incident, citing Interior Ministry Secretary General Lyubomir Nikolov.

Authorities did not initially disclose the airline, flight details or the number of passengers on board. The contents of the threatening email were also not made public.

The latest incidents came amid a series of similar security alerts involving European flights.

On Monday, a Wizz Air flight travelling from London to Sofia was diverted to Budapest following a bomb threat. Security inspections found no explosives, allowing the aircraft to continue its journey to Bulgaria.

Earlier, on October 18, an Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna was diverted to Sofia after another bomb threat. Bulgarian MiG-29 fighter jets escorted the aircraft before it continued to Vienna after security checks found no danger.