French authorities diverted four planes after bomb threats

Four aircraft flying over France were diverted on Friday after authorities received bomb alerts. Three planes landed at Orly Airport, near Paris, while the fourth was redirected to Bordeaux. All the aircraft reached the ground without incident, but they were checked by teams specializing in detecting explosives.

The planes did not have France as their destination; they were crossing French airspace en route to other countries. The authorities did not disclose the airlines, the number of passengers, or the complete routes. France has opened an investigation to identify the authors of the threatening messages.

The alerts increased across Europe starting Tuesday. By Thursday, nearly 30 flights had been targeted, while new incidents were reported on Friday in several countries. Aircraft were escorted by fighter jets or forced to land at other airports.

In Romania, two planes, one Wizz Air and one KLM, were checked on Thursday in Bucharest, without any explosive devices being found. On Friday, a TAROM flight received a similar threat, but landed at its destination, the alert proving to be false.

Similar incidents were reported in Hungary, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Italy, Poland, Denmark, and Spain. Some messages were signed in the name of the “Fighters of the Male State,” a Russian extremist movement banned in Russia, but the connection with the threats has not been confirmed. The group’s founder denied involvement, and the perpetrators have not been identified.