Airports across Europe experienced widespread disruptions this week after a wave of bomb threats forced security checks, flight delays, and mid-air rerouting. The incidents affected major hubs in Spain, the Czech Republic, Portugal, Bulgaria, and France, with authorities confirming no explosives were discovered in any case. Madrid-Barajas received four separate threats aimed at flights from London and Munich, prompting a security committee with law enforcement to evaluate risks. According to Aena’s confirmation to 20Minutos, a dedicated security committee was formed with the Fuerzas y Cuerpos de Seguridad del Estado to assess the situation. After completing inspections, officials cleared all aircraft for departure without finding any danger to passengers.
Lisbon’s airport also faced delays when a Ryanair flight traveling between Rome and the Portuguese capital was held for more than two hours during a security inspection. The threat extended to both the outgoing and return flights on the Rome-Lisbon route, requiring police investigations. Prague’s Václav Havel Airport endured the most severe disruptions, with eight flights, including routes to Spain, Denmark, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Romania, and Italy, receiving threats. Among them, a Wizz Air aircraft en route to Rome was diverted to Venice, while a Tarom plane landed safely in Bucharest. Sofia Airport in Bulgaria handled two alerts, both involving flights arriving from London and Brussels, though no irregularities were reported.
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Hungary and France took additional measures by deploying military assets to monitor threatened flights. Three Hungarian fighter jets were positioned to track aircraft passing through national airspace, while France confirmed four new alerts over its territory. Danish authorities conducted inspections at Copenhagen Airport but found no signs of risk. Meanwhile, European security agencies activated a cross-border information-sharing system to coordinate responses across affected regions.