Police investigating bomb threat against Estonia-Germany flights

Police presence has been strengthened in the Tallinn Airport region as Estonia's Internal Security Service (KaPo) looks into a bomb threat against Estonia-Germany flights.

Tallinn Airport and KaPo received phone calls after 2 a.m. Monday from a man identifying himself as a member of the Islamic group Daesh, who declared his plan to blow up a plane en route from Tallinn to Germany within a week. The caller spoke in English, calling from an Estonian cell phone number and from an Estonian territory.

Immediately after the call the police did an extra check on the security of Tallinn Airport and outbound flights. Security measures at the airport were increased.

KaPo opened a criminal investigation into the threat against aviation safety. The proceeding is headed by the Office of the Prosecutor General. "At the moment there isn't any other information indicative of actual danger beside the phone call, but we take the threats seriously," state prosecutor Inna Ombler remarked.

"Although Daesh has not given advance warning of its attacks, we're stepping up security measures and have started a proceeding to capture the person who made the threat. Safety of aviation must be guaranteed by security measures regardless of whether threats are made or not," deputy director of KaPo Aleksander Toots said.

Heightened security is not expected to delay passengers and flights are departing from the airport on time.

The state-owned Estonian carrier Nordic Aviation Group operating under the Nordica banner is not planning to alter this week's schedules over the threat, although it may tighten security measures.

"At the moment no changes are planned in Nordica's flight schedules in connection with the bomb threat made against this week's Germany-bound flights. However, passengers would do well to reckon with somewhat tighter security checks," the airline stated on social media.

The company added that it is keeping in touch and co-operating fully with the Tallinn airport and security agencies.