File photo: Bomb scares hit four European flights in a day; counter-terror units deployed
The aircraft was carrying 121 people, including crew, according to Francisco Lucas, the Spanish government’s delegate in the Murcia region. In Spain, a Ryanair flight from Manchester made an emergency landing at Murcia airport following another reported threat. In Bulgaria, a flight from Israel landed at Sofia airport after a bomb threat was received by email, Reuters reported, citing local media.
Bulgarian public broadcaster BNT said the alert was part of a wider warning affecting “various institutions”. All four aircraft landed safely, with counter-terrorism units and police deployed to inspect them. The incidents came a day after a separate bomb threat forced a Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia to divert to Budapest. Police took charge of the investigation, while airport operations continued. Counter-terrorism units were deployed to check for possible explosive devices. The airport’s website showed an El Al service from Tel Aviv as the only flight arriving from Israel that morning.
At least four passenger flights across Europe were targeted by suspected bomb threats on Tuesday, prompting emergency landings and security checks in Poland, Spain and Bulgaria.