BUCHAREST/BRUSSELS — Air traffic control authorities across Europe went on high alert after more than 27 commercial airplanes faced coordinated bomb threats mid-flight, prompting emergency diversions and military jet escorts.

According to international news agencies, flights departing from major European hubs—including Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Madrid, Milan, and Warsaw—were hit by the false threats on Thursday. The wave of alerts marked a more than threefold increase compared to a similar incident just two days prior, when seven flights faced comparable scare tactics.

Major European carriers, such as Finnair, Aer Lingus, Wizz Air, LOT Polish Airlines, easyJet, and Air Europa, were caught in the disruption. Many of the affected aircraft were forced to divert to alternative airports for intensive security inspections. Fortunately, thorough searches by local law enforcement and aviation security teams confirmed that all threats were false and no explosives were found.

In one instance, a Finnair flight traveling from Helsinki to Rome received an in-flight bomb alert, prompting fighter jets to scramble and escort the plane until it landed safely at Rome-Fiumicino Airport. Similarly, an Aer Lingus service from Dublin to Rome was redirected to the Évreux-Fauville Air Base in northern France, where 151 passengers underwent rigorous security checks in small groups.

Authorities in the Czech Republic, Poland, Austria, and Bulgaria reported similar emergencies, with multiple aircraft making emergency landings or receiving fighter jet escorts to secure airbases. Spain's Guardia Civil noted receiving three separate threat emails targeting airlines like Air Europa within a span of less than 20 minutes.

Media reports indicated that several of the threatening emails referenced "Male State," a known Russian extremist group. The messages reportedly contained alarming declarations such as, "They will detonate in 60 minutes," and blamed "feminist regimes." However, intelligence and security officials have emphasized that it remains unverified whether the group was genuinely behind the operation or if the signatures were authentic.

Apostolos Tzitzikostas, the European Union Commissioner for Transport, addressed the situation on social media, stating that it is currently premature to determine whether the incidents are interlinked, while firmly condemning any threats directed at civilians.

The aviation scares follow a recent surge in suspicious disruptions across Europe, including cyberattacks that remotely targeted supermarket refrigeration systems in at least 11 countries, driving temperatures up to 55 degrees Celsius. These events have fueled growing speculation among experts that adversarial nations may be escalating "hybrid warfare" campaigns designed to sow confusion and disrupt critical infrastructure in Western nations.

Citing the deteriorating security environment since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Sweden announced the immediate reinstatement of border controls across the Schengen area for a six-month period, pointing to hostile actors exploiting open borders to conduct subversive activities.

[ⓒ Global Economic Times. 무단전재-재배포 금지]