EU monitoring aviation bomb threats, says too early to establish links

The European Commission said Tuesday it was closely monitoring reported bomb threats affecting aviation in Europe, but cautioned that it was too early to determine whether the incidents were linked."We are closely monitoring the situation and are in contact with the affected Member States," a commission spokesperson said in an emailed response to Xinhua, adding that the European Union Aviation Safety Agency was also involved."Any threats against civilians are unacceptable. Ensuring the safety and security of citizens remains a priority," the spokesperson said.The commission declined to draw conclusions on possible links between the reported incidents."It is too early to draw conclusions on whether the reported incidents are linked. National investigations remain ongoing and fall under the responsibility of the competent authorities," the spokesperson added.About seven passenger flights bound for Poland, Bulgaria, Italy and Spain received bomb threats on Tuesday, prompting security checks and temporarily disrupting airport operations. However, no explosive devices were found.At least two flights to Warsaw, two to Sofia, two to Rome and one to Murcia airport in Spain ‌were subjected to the threats on Tuesday, and ⁠another flight to Sofia had been threatened a day earlier. An airport in Warsaw was briefly shut and the Italian Air Force accompanied one of the flights to Rome while an Israel-bound cruise ship was searched for bombs in Greece.There was no claim of ‌responsibility and officials did not attribute blame.Rhys Jones, analysis output manager at aviation risk advisory firm ‌Osprey Flight Solutions, said that seven confirmed bomb threats in a single day impacting flights was exceptional. "The lack of clear target ‌state, airline or route indicates that general disruption to aviation operations is the aim," Jones said.Authorities diverted a flight of LOT Polish Airlines from London that was meant to land at Warsaw's Chopin airport to nearby Modlin airport, which was closed and then reopened after the plane was searched and no device was found.Another Warsaw-bound flight, an SAS flight ⁠from Copenhagen, landed at Chopin ‌as scheduled. Chopin airport said no device was found and the airport remained operational.(With input from agencies)