TOO SOON TO SAY IF AIRLINE BOMB THREATS ARE LINKED

BRUSSELS, NOVEMBER 5 /SRNA/ – The European Commission said it was too early to determine whether a series of bomb threats against airlines were linked or amounted to coordinated hybrid and cyberattacks.

EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said Brussels and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency /EASA/ were monitoring the situation closely and were in contact with the affected member states, the Reporter news portal reported.

"Responsibility for assessing the security threat, investigating the incident and implementing appropriate security measures lies primarily with the relevant national authorities, working with airport operators, airlines and security forces," Tzitzikostas said at an informal meeting in Dublin.

He said it was far too early to draw conclusions about whether the incidents were connected, since investigations were underway at the national level.

He said an EU-level information-sharing mechanism had been activated, and there was still no information indicating a cyberattack.

A series of bomb threats were sent today to numerous European airlines, from Ireland and Serbia to Bulgaria. At least 27 planes made unscheduled landings or were escorted by fighter jets.

It is the third day in a row of mass bomb threats targeting low-cost airlines flying across Europe.