Bomb threats prompted security checks on passenger aircraft bound for Warsaw and Murcia on Tuesday. A London flight diverted to Warsaw-Modlin, while another arriving from Copenhagen landed at Warsaw Chopin. A Manchester–Murcia service also faced an alert. The incidents affected passengers and airport operations a day after a separate Wizz Air flight diverted to Budapest following a threat.
Geopolitics··Evening
London flight diverts to Warsaw-Modlin
Bomb threats interrupted several passenger flights in Europe on Tuesday. A flight from London Heathrow to Warsaw Chopin airport instead landed at Warsaw-Modlin, another airport serving Warsaw. A separate flight from Copenhagen also received a threat before landing at its scheduled destination, Warsaw Chopin. Both aircraft were subjected to security inspections.[1], [2]
The London flight carried 181 people. Specialists inspected the aircraft after its unscheduled arrival. Warsaw-Modlin temporarily closed and subsequently announced that it had reopened. In its statement, the airport said passengers and crew remained in the arrivals halls awaiting further action, while several areas would remain closed until further notice.[1]
Manchester–Murcia service also faces an alert
A Ryanair aircraft flying from Manchester to Murcia in southern Spain was also checked following a bomb threat. Francisco Lucas, the Spanish government’s regional representative, put the number of people on board at 121, including crew. Security personnel attended the aircraft after it landed. The alert brought another airport into Tuesday’s disruption.[1]
A separate Monday threat diverted a Wizz Air flight
The incidents followed a threat on Monday against a Wizz Air service travelling from London Luton to Sofia. That aircraft diverted to Budapest in Hungary, accompanied by a Hungarian fighter jet. Hungarian Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi confirmed that his country had provided the military escort.[1]
Wizz Air said the aircraft and its passengers underwent the necessary security checks. It later said the inspection had been completed and nothing was found. Tuesday’s alerts prompted fresh searches and changes to passenger journeys. Their origin and any connection between the incidents had not been conclusively established.[1]
