A wave of bomb threats triggered security alerts at European airports: A plane arriving from Israel landed at Sofia Airport in Bulgaria after an email threat warned of an explosive device on board. At the same time, two planes landing or en route to Warsaw, Poland, also received bomb alerts, prompting security forces into action.
According to local Bulgarian media reports, after the plane landed in Sofia, counter-terrorism units were called to the scene. They searched the aircraft to rule out the presence of explosives. The Bulgarian news agency BTA quoted Interior Ministry Secretary General Lyubomir Nikolov, who said forces were investigating the threat.
Meanwhile in Poland, bomb threats were received for two planes heading to Warsaw airports. One was a Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight SK751 from Copenhagen to Warsaw. The plane completed its flight and landed safely, after which passengers disembarked. The airline confirmed it had received a threat related to the flight but emphasized the landing proceeded without incident.
In another case, a LOT Polish Airlines plane that took off from London bound for Warsaw was diverted to Modlin Airport, near the Polish capital, following a bomb alert. On board were 181 people, including a group of Jewish students aged 16 and 17 from a London high school who were traveling to Poland for an educational trip. Among the students were Israelis living in London.
After the plane landed at Modlin, authorities removed passengers and local security forces began searches and sweeps to determine whether there was a real threat. At this stage, reports indicate several separate incidents in which threats were received against planes heading to European airports.