The key facts
- On November 6, the threats affected nine flights of Prague airport and four aircraft over France; the landings went without incident
- The day before, on November 5, similar messages affected at least 27 flights, with some planes escorted by military aviation
- No explosive devices were found; the organizers of the mailings and any connection between the messages have not been established
New threats for the second day in a row
European airlines are facing mass bomb threat messages about passenger aircraft for the second day in a row. On Friday, November 6, threats were received concerning nine flights connected with Prague airport and four more airliners flying over France, reports Life.ru.
Checks in Prague and Bucharest
The Czech police reported that unknown persons claimed there might be explosive devices on board aircraft arriving in Prague and departing from it. Checks were organized at Václav Havel Airport and security measures were strengthened. According to the Czech outlet Novinky, five of the nine affected aircraft were preparing to depart for the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Romania, Italy and Cyprus, while the rest had arrived from Denmark, Spain and the United Kingdom. The police assured that the additional checks had virtually no impact on the airport's normal operations. Similar measures were taken in Bucharest, where a plane of the Romanian airline Tarom with 102 passengers on board was heading from Prague; the airliner landed safely.
The situation over France and the results of the previous day
Four warnings about possible explosive devices were received concerning aircraft over France. According to the TF1 TV channel, all flights landed without incident; specialists began inspecting the aircraft, and law enforcement agencies started investigating the origin of the messages. The day before, on November 5, a wave of similar threats affected at least 27 European flights: some aircraft had to change their route, and military aviation was scrambled to escort certain planes. According to Reuters, no explosive devices were found in the checked aircraft.
Who is behind the mailings — unknown
European security services are trying to establish whether the numerous messages are connected. The organizers of the mailings have not yet been identified, and the involvement of any specific group has not been confirmed. Earlier, Life.ru reported that in Italy, letters threatening explosions on passenger aircraft turned out to be signed on behalf of the 'Fighters of the Male State'* (an organization recognized as extremist and banned in Russia), however, the organization's involvement in the mailings was not established. Thus, at this point only the threats themselves and the absence of found explosive devices have been confirmed; the question of their source remains open.
