FBI alerted PSP about bomb threats on two TAP flights bound for Paris and Copenhagen
The FBI transmitted information to the PSP about bomb threats on two TAP flights already in route. The threats proved to be false, amid a wave of alerts across Europe.
FBI alerted PSP about threats on TAP flights mid-route
The FBI alerted the Public Security Police (PSP) to the existence of bomb threats aboard two TAP aircraft, reports dn.pt on Friday, 6 November. The two planes were already in flight when the information was transmitted — one heading to Orly airport in Paris, and another bound for Copenhagen.
The PSP immediately activated security protocols and communicated the situation to French and Danish authorities. In both cases, the threats were ruled out following assessment, and the flights continued to their intended destinations.
Also on the same morning, Portuguese police received a second alert, this time regarding a Ryanair flight departing from Lisbon airport bound for Rome. The incident is part of a wave of false bomb alerts that has affected the aviation sector across Europe.
Wave of false threats affects European aviation
On Thursday, at least 25 false bomb alerts were recorded in European airspace, including a flight departing from Porto bound for Milan. On Friday, the number of incidents increased again, with several capitals reporting new threats that, in various cases, required aircraft diversions and emergency landings, sometimes with military escort.
In Hungary, the Defence Minister informed that military fighters escorted three separate passenger aircraft in the country's airspace, within an hour. These were flights from Brussels to Sofia and from Prague to Cyprus and Romania.
In France, the office of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu communicated that "four new bomb threats against aircraft flying over French territory were made today". The aircraft landed safely at Orly airport in Paris, where explosive disposal experts carried out the necessary inspections.
Other incidents included threats directed at a Prague to Bucharest flight operated by Romanian company Tarom, and a WizzAir flight also departing from the Czech capital bound for Rome, which was diverted to Venice. In Copenhagen, Danish police reported that they deployed to the airport for the second consecutive day "due to threats directed at air traffic".
European Commission activates information-sharing mechanism
Faced with the escalation of incidents, the European Commission announced on Friday the activation of an information-sharing mechanism between member states.
"At this moment, our role is to coordinate member states, so as to ensure a comprehensive and complete overview of what is happening. For this reason, the commissioner responsible for Transport, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, was in contact yesterday with our European Union Aviation Safety Agency [EASA] and we have activated the information-sharing mechanism at EU level", said the European executive's spokesperson for Transport, Anna-Kaisa Itkonen.
European authorities are expressing growing concern over possible hybrid attacks. The false bomb alerts come at a time when Europe is experiencing other disruptions, including recurring attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems in various countries and drone incursions.
Next Wednesday, the European Parliament will debate cyberattacks on supermarkets and blood reserves recorded in various countries, which have already resulted in the loss of tonnes of food. The debate, part of the parliamentary mini-session, will focus on "resilience in the protection of critical infrastructure and social supply chains".
Source: Google News PT