TAROM Prague–Bucharest flight cleared after false bomb threat
Romania's intelligence service says it found no explosive device aboard a TAROM flight from Prague, part of a wider wave of threats against European flights.
Update ·
Romania's SRI says its anti-terrorist brigade found no explosive device aboard the TAROM flight, confirming the threat was false.
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A TAROM flight from Prague to Bucharest carrying 102 passengers landed safely at Henri Coandă Airport on Friday after a bomb threat, and Romania's domestic intelligence service, the SRI, said its anti-terrorist brigade found no explosive device aboard, according to Digi24 and Adevărul. Romania's airport operator, CNAB, said security procedures were carried out and that air traffic continued safely throughout.
SRI spokesman Ovidiu Marincea said every threat received was treated seriously and that precautionary checks, including searching aircraft or re-examining luggage, did not mean a bomb had been confirmed. He said the origin of the threats and possible links between the various incidents were still being investigated in cooperation with authorities in several countries, and asked passengers to remain calm and follow instructions from crew and airport staff.
The TAROM flight was one of several affecting Otopeni airport that week. On Thursday, 5 November, a flight from Milan to Bucharest carrying 182 passengers and seven crew landed safely after a threat and was checked by an SRI bomb-disposal team. A KLM flight to Tel Aviv that stopped in Bucharest was also inspected, while a third, unspecified threat against another arriving aircraft required no further measures.
The wave of threats also hit other European countries that week. An Aer Lingus Airbus A320 flying from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a French air base and escorted by French military jets after receiving a bomb threat. Czech police checked four aircraft on Thursday over related warnings, Bulgaria reported threats against two flights bound for Sofia that both landed safely, and Portuguese police said a Ryanair flight from Lisbon to Rome was also targeted.
Dozens of commercial flights were affected across the continent during the week, with some aircraft diverted and others escorted by fighter jets as a precaution. No group or individual had claimed responsibility for the threats, and officials had not said publicly whether the incidents in different countries were connected.
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What we know
- 2+ outlets · Știripesurse, HotNews A TAROM flight from Prague with 102 passengers landed safely at Bucharest's Otopeni airport after a bomb threat on Friday.
- Official · Romania's SRI Romania's SRI said its anti-terrorist brigade found no explosive device and the threat was not confirmed.
- 2+ outlets · G4Media, Digi24 +1 The incident was part of a wider wave of bomb threats affecting flights across Europe that week.
- 1 outlet · Cyprus Mail Separate threatened flights were also reported in the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Portugal and Ireland.
Not yet confirmed
- Unconfirmed The identity and motive of whoever issued the threats had not been established.
- Unconfirmed Whether the various threats across Europe are linked has not been confirmed.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Why it matters for Europe
The wave of bomb threats forced repeated security checks, diversions and, in one case, a military jet escort, disrupting air travel across several European countries in the same week. No group has claimed responsibility, and authorities in multiple states are coordinating their investigations into whether the incidents are connected.
Updates
·
Romania's SRI says its anti-terrorist brigade found no explosive device aboard the TAROM flight, confirming the threat was false.
First published.
Sources
Reported by 12 reports from 11 independent outlets in 4 countries.
- Radio Prague International: Power outage hits parts of Prague, forcing lower house to suspend session
- Adevărul: Alertă falsă cu bombă la bordul unui avion TAROM care a venit de la Praga. Ce spune SRI despre originea amenințărilor
- Știripesurse: Alertă cu bombă la bordul unui avion TAROM, pe ruta Praga–București / 102 pasageri la bord. SRI și CNAB, primele informații
- HotNews: Alertă cu bombă într-un zbor Tarom Praga-București, cu 102 pasageri la bord. Incidentul, după valul de amenințări din toată Europa
- Radio Prague International: Power restored to Prague after outage affects 70,000 households
Source balance
PremiumSee how the 11 outlets behind this story spread from left to right, and which are official or OSINT sources.
Intelligence file
PremiumSee how we verified this story
Confidence and impact scores, 10 more sources, the full situation report and the event timeline.
Questions and answers
- Was a bomb found on the TAROM flight?
- No. Romania's SRI said its anti-terrorist brigade found no explosive device and the threat was false.
- Were other flights affected that week?
- Yes. Flights to and from the Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Portugal and Ireland also received bomb threats in the same period.
- Has anyone claimed responsibility?
- No group or individual had claimed responsibility as of the available reports.
This article was written with AI assistance from 15 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.