BOMB THREATS HIT SEVEN EUROPEAN FLIGHTS INCLUDING FOUR RYANAIR JETS

Bomb threats targeting seven passenger aircraft, including four Ryanair flights, disrupted air travel across Europe on Tuesday. One aircraft was diverted to an alternative airport and another received a fighter jet escort as the threats unfolded. Two of the affected flights had departed from the UK. Passengers faced delays and additional security screening before officials confirmed that all of the threats were false. A LOT Polish Airlines flight from London Heathrow to Warsaw and a Ryanair service from Manchester to Murcia were among the aircraft affected.

LOT flight LO286, travelling from Heathrow to Warsaw Chopin Airport, was rerouted to Warsaw Modlin Airport after concerns were raised about a possible bomb on board. The Ryanair flight from Manchester landed in Murcia to find the aircraft surrounded by emergency services, including a bomb squad, fire engines and police. Francisco Lucas, the Spanish government's representative in the Murcia region, said the operation involved 114 passengers and seven crew members. He confirmed that the Guardia Civil found no evidence of explosives on board, allowing the airport to resume normal operations. One passenger told the BBC the aircraft stopped "quite suddenly" after landing and was then "surrounded by fire engines and police and a bomb squad". She said: "We were only later told that it was an actual threat, a bomb threat to the plane itself."

Five further aircraft were affected by the Europe-wide alert, including services travelling from Copenhagen to Warsaw and from Bergamo to Sofia. Two additional Ryanair aircraft, flying from Lisbon and from Dublin, were examined by security personnel after arriving in Rome. No explosives were found on any of the seven aircraft involved. Normal operations resumed once searches were completed.