Investigation in Paris into Bomb Threats Targeting Planes over France amid Suspected Foreign Links

On Saturday, November 7, the Paris prosecutor's office announced the opening of a judicial investigation into false bomb threats that recently targeted commercial aircraft crossing French airspace, in order to verify potential links of those involved with "foreign powers."

Suspicions of Foreign Interference and Pursuit of Senders

The prosecutor's office explained, in statements reported by Agence France-Presse (AFP), that ongoing security investigations aim to track down and identify the owners of the email addresses that sent these fabricated alerts, which were intended to create the illusion of an imminent destructive danger, while scrutinizing their potential connection to external international entities and powers.

Security Alert and Thorough Searches of Several Flights

French airspace experienced notable disruption; on Thursday, an Aer Lingus flight was diverted to land at Évreux airport following a bomb threat. Furthermore, the Prime Minister's office (Matignon) reported on Friday that four new threats targeted aircraft flying over French territory, requiring the intervention of bomb disposal teams and experts to conduct thorough security inspections to ensure the safety of passengers and aircraft.

A Coordinated Campaign Striking European Aviation

These alerts have affected dozens of commercial flights across Europe since the beginning of the week. Security experts noted that this type of hoax attack seeks to exhaust security services and incite anxiety and panic among travelers at minimal cost, with no explosives found in any of the cases.

Services within the Prime Minister's office responsible for security and air defense affirmed that "investigations are ongoing to uncover the source of these alerts affecting all of Europe," while the Irish government described the events as a "coordinated campaign likely aimed at causing paralysis and confusion in air traffic."

These alerts coincided with claim-of-responsibility messages received on Thursday at Rome and Sofia airports, attributed to what is known as "Male State Fighters"—a name referring to an extremist Russian nationalist movement. However, the leader of this movement quickly denied any responsibility or connection to these threats.