Two UK airports received threats as bomb alerts impact flights across Europe

Heathrow and Birmingham airports received threats that were assessed as not credible, it is understood, as flights were diverted across Europe after a series of bomb alerts.

It is understood that operations at both UK airports have continued as normal.

At least eight flights were confirmed to have been targeted with bomb threats on Thursday, including services from Copenhagen, Helsinki, Madrid, Milan and Warsaw.

The incidents came after several planes, including some departing from the UK and Ireland, were subject to hoax security alerts earlier this week.

Among those impacted on Thursday was a Ryanair flight from London Stansted heading for the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, which was diverted and landed safely in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, according to the Associated Press.

One flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to an airfield in northern France amid a bomb alert.

Most were diverted to other airports for emergency landings while others landed safely at their destinations.

Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told reporters she was aware that a “small number of flights” had been disrupted on Thursday.

She added: “We do have some of the most robust aviation security systems anywhere in the world and we have established processes for dealing with hoax and malicious threats, and that’s what these threats have been.”

Ms Alexander said the UK took these threats “seriously”, adding: “But we understand that these have been malicious hoax threats.”

A UK Government spokesperson said threats reported in the “early hours” of Thursday had been “resolved”.

“It’s right that authorities treat any potential threats seriously – the UK has one of the most robust aviation security systems in the world, with well-tested processes for dealing with any threats, as well as malicious hoaxes, like those we’ve seen this week.

“The Met’s Aviation Policing Command continues to monitor the situation and liaise with the relevant authorities.”

A spokesperson for Birmingham Airport said: “The safety and security of customers and colleagues is always our highest priority.

“In line with UK aviation security standards, processes were immediately initiated in conjunction with emergency services and partners.”

Graeme McQueen, head of communications with Dublin Airport operator DAA, said Thursday was a “normal day” for the airport.

He said: “There are reports of email threats being made to airports and airlines around the world.

“We’ve seen those. Obviously, stuff like that is obviously investigated.

“There was one flight which left Dublin Airport this morning, bound for Rome. It did divert to an airport in Paris.

“So, other than that, it’s a normal day at Dublin Airport. ”

A statement from the French prime minister’s office said the A320 aircraft was diverted to the Evreux air base and landed safely.

“The 151 passengers and six crew members were brought to safety and the bomb disposal teams intervened,” the statement added.

Aer Lingus said: “Aer Lingus flight EI402 from Dublin to Rome diverted to Normandy this morning as a security precaution.

“The flight landed safely and Aer Lingus will work to reaccommodate customers to their final destination as soon as possible.”

Finnish airline Finnair confirmed two of its flights from Helsinki – one to Rome and another to Vienna – had faced “unfounded or hoax” bomb threats on Thursday.

Both aircraft landed at their destinations and passengers disembarked safely, the company said.

In Rome, the Finnair plane was inspected and nothing out of the ordinary was found, while checks on the aircraft in Vienna are continuing.

There were 144 passengers and seven crew members aboard the flight to Rome and 177 passengers and six crew on the Vienna flight, the airline said.

WizzAir said two of its flights from Milan had been the subject of bomb threats on Thursday – one to Bucharest, which landed safely at its destination, and another bound for Warsaw, which landed safely in Vienna after it was diverted.

The airline said it was “co-operating fully with the relevant authorities” and taking “all necessary steps to ensure the safety of everyone onboard”.

It added: “The safety and security of our passengers and crew remain our highest priority.”

The aviation industry has “well-proved mechanisms” for dealing with bomb threats, Joji Waites, director of flight safety, policy and regulation at the British Airline Pilots’ Association, said.

When an airline has been notified of a threat to an aircraft, this is passed to a team of assessors who grade it red (credible), amber (partially credible) or green (not credible), he said.

“Amber is not considered an appropriate assessment if the plane is airborne,” Mr Waites added.

“If the threat is assessed as not credible, staff on the plane will not be informed of it.

“However, when a threat is assessed as credible (red or amber) the flight crew will be informed immediately and they will carry out company procedures for a credible bomb threat.

“From the moment the flight crew is notified of a credible bomb threat, the commander of the aircraft – the captain – is in command and will make all the decisions, guided by the appropriate checklist, for the safety of their aircraft.

“Usually, if a plane is still on the tarmac, that will mean an evacuation, and if it is in the air, the priority will be to land the plane as soon and as safely as possible.

“Pilots are highly trained and skilled professionals.

“Their expertise is invaluable in ensuring passenger safety and keeping aviation one of the safest forms of transport there is.”