Although security checks uncovered no explosives or other dangerous items, the incidents caused widespread disruption and flight delays.
The most serious incidents occurred on Tuesday morning in Italy, where an anonymous email warned of explosives aboard two Ryanair flights bound for Rome’s Fiumicino Airport. One had departed from Lisbon, Portugal, and the other from Dublin, Ireland.
In response, the Italian Air Force scrambled fighter jets to escort both aircraft until they landed safely at Fiumicino. Passengers, luggage and aircraft were then subjected to security checks, and bomb disposal teams carried out thorough inspections.
Around the same time, a Wizz Air flight from Bergamo Airport in Italy to Sofia, Bulgaria, also received a bomb threat. Italian police, working with security agencies across Europe, are investigating the source of the anonymous emails and calls.
