European airlines have been hit by another wave of bomb threats, disrupting flights across several countries and prompting military intervention for the third time this week.
The latest incidents occurred on Friday, with flights travelling to and from Lisbon, Rome, Prague and Sofia among those targeted.
Authorities said three aircraft were escorted by Hungarian fighter jets following the threats as security agencies responded to the incidents.
Ryanair confirmed that a flight scheduled to travel from Lisbon to Rome had received a bomb threat. Meanwhile, at least 11 flights were targeted in the Czech Republic and Bulgaria, according to reports by AFP.
France also reported threats against at least four flights, although all the affected aircraft landed safely.
The security concerns extended beyond aviation, with several prominent media organisations, including Ireland's public broadcaster RTÉ, evacuated after receiving threats. However, authorities have not established a direct connection between the threats against media organisations and those targeting airlines.
The latest disruptions follow a series of similar incidents earlier in the week, when nearly 30 aircraft and several airports across Europe were affected.
The United Kingdom previously described the earlier incidents as a "malicious hoax".
A Russian extremist group has denied responsibility for the alleged hoax bomb threats.
As of Friday, security authorities had not discovered any explosives aboard the affected aircraft, despite the widespread disruption.
