A wave of bomb threats Thursday forced flight diversions and emergency landings across Europe after more than a dozen flights were targeted.
One plane headed from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a military base in France, with all 157 people on board safe. Authorities say security sweeps have so far found no explosives or suspicious materials.
The incident follows several similar hoax threats earlier this week. Airports in Madrid, Milan, Bucharest, Warsaw and London were among those targeted.
Some flights arrived at their destination safely but were ultimately searched by experts, while others had to be diverted. For example, four flights headed to Prague were threatened with some kind of explosive device being on board. But once they all arrived, they were searched and no explosive devices were found.
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UK Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander has described the threats as a malicious hoax. Heathrow Airport has also dismissed that it was the subject of a bomb threat, saying it didn't believe it was a credible threat. As a result, no actions were taken to shut down airport operations in any way.
It remains unclear exactly who is behind these threats or how long they may continue. European Union transport chief Apostolos Tzitzikostas said it's also unclear whether all of the bomb threats this week are linked, or whether there is one group behind all of the same threats.
The UK Department of Transport has made it clear that London's Metropolitan Police Aviation Section is working with its international counterparts to try to figure out exactly what is happening and where these threats are emanating from.
There has been one claim made in Italy by a group which says it is an anti-feminist organization that wanted to make the skies turn red. However, that has not been verified as a credible claim, so it remains unclear whether these threats are coming from an individual, a group, a hostile state, or none of the above.
