Milan airports brace as European bomb-threat wave persists

More than 30 flights across Europe have been subjected to security alerts or diversions since Thursday, according to the Guardian and Deutsche Welle, with multiple aircraft bound for Rome and other major hubs forced to land at military bases or undergo emergency procedures. An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to France's Evreux airbase, while threats also targeted flights arriving in Warsaw, Sofia and Madrid. No explosives have been found in any of the incidents, and the New York Times reported that passengers were left frustrated rather than fearful by the disruptions and travel delays.

The threats, which have continued into Friday, claimed to originate from "fighters of the Male State," described by France 24 as a far-right Russian group. The EU transport commissioner told the Guardian on Thursday that it was too early to say whether the 20 reported threats were coordinated. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said Friday that civilian infrastructures were "under attack" following the wave of hacking incidents and bomb alerts, according to the Local Italy.

For Milan's Malpensa and Linate airports, the disruptions underscore the vulnerability of Europe's busiest travel nodes to security incidents that can cascade across the continent within hours. The incidents ripple through Lombardy's business travel ecosystem and its role as Italy's primary international gateway. Le Monde reported Friday that fresh threats continued to target flights, with four aircraft arriving at Prague airport and five departing also affected, alongside two flights to Sofia and another to Rome.