Several bomb threats against passenger flights in Europe

Bomb threats have caused disruption to air traffic in Europe. At least three intra-European flights to or from Italy had to make unscheduled landings. The threats have so far not proven to be real.

An Aer Lingus plane traveling from Dublin to Rome made an unscheduled landing at the French air base in Evreux, the French government announced. The almost 160 people on board are safe and defusing teams are in action, according to the Prime Minister's Office.

A Finnair plane from Helsinki to Rome was accompanied by Italian military aircraft to the Roman military airport of Fiumicino, a spokesman for the Roman airports confirmed to the AFP news agency. A Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw was diverted to Vienna, according to the Hungarian airline.

A LOT Polish Airlines flight from Warsaw to Brussels landed at its destination after a bomb threat. No dangerous or suspicious items were found during subsequent checks, the airline said.

These are the latest incidents in a series of threats against air transport in Europe. Bomb threats had already been received on Tuesday for at least seven flights and a cruise ship. This caused disruption at airports across Europe, although no explosive devices were discovered.

So far, no state has blamed any particular party for the threats. But they come at a time when European officials are accusing both Russia and Iran of hybrid attacks and acts of sabotage. Moscow and Tehran deny such campaigns.

The head of aviation-focused cybersecurity firm Cyviation, Eliran Almog, said: "These aviation threats coincide with cyberattacks on supermarket cooling systems across Europe," Almog explained. "Various essential services are being affected by disruptions which can result in significant costs and undermine public confidence."

Fake bomb threats could be part of a similar pattern of low-cost and credible disruptive actions, experts say.