Hoax bomb threats force eight jets into emergency landings across Europe, including a Heathrow flight of Jewish schoolchildren
A LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 737 like the aircraft carrying 181 passengers, including Jewish schoolchildren from a London school, that was diverted from its Heathrow-to-Warsaw route after a hoax bomb threat.A locator map of European flight routes, showing the countries affected by Tuesday's bomb threats, including the Ryanair jet from Manchester that landed under guard in Murcia, Spain.
The wave of threats — described by the British government as "malicious hoax" calls — struck flights operated by LOT Polish Airlines, Ryanair, Wizz Air and Scandinavian Airlines within a 24-hour window, with planes diverted across Poland, Spain, Italy and Bulgaria. Experts warned the coordinated nature of the threats pointed to "a very deliberate act by a typical actor," with one analyst raising the possibility of Russian or Iranian hybrid warfare. Flights from London Heathrow, Manchester, Dublin, Lisbon, Copenhagen and Bergamo were all caught up in the chaos, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded or delayed.
A cruise ship, the Crown Iris, carrying 940 passengers and 597 crew and bound for the Israeli port of Haifa, was also held at the Greek island of Syros after a bomb threat.
Experts warned passengers to expect significant delays lasting days, with searched aircraft grounded until authorities were satisfied they were safe to operate.
