More than a dozen flights faced bomb threats across Europe on Thursday, prompting emergency landings, diversions and extensive security checks at multiple airports.
Europe’s aviation network was thrown into turmoil on Thursday after a wave of bomb threats targeting passenger aircraft forced several flights to divert, make emergency landings and undergo extensive security checks across multiple countries.
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From Finland and Denmark to Bulgaria, France and the Czech Republic, airlines faced a series of security alerts that prompted swift responses from airport authorities and law enforcement agencies.
More than a dozen flights were reportedly targeted, although initial inspections found no suspicious objects or explosives aboard several of the affected aircraft.
Among the flights targeted was Finnair’s Flight 1761, travelling from Helsinki to Rome. The aircraft was subjected to a bomb threat but landed normally in the Italian capital.
Italian Air Force fighter jets escorted the aircraft to Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport. A subsequent inspection found nothing suspicious on board, Finnish broadcaster Yle reported.
Three Ryanair flights bound for Sofia, Bulgaria, were also targeted by bomb threats, forcing emergency landings.
Two of the aircraft, one travelling from Copenhagen, Denmark, and another from Madrid, landed safely at Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport, airport officials told reporters.
The third Ryanair flight, which had taken off from London’s Stansted Airport, was diverted to Plovdiv, Bulgaria’s second-largest city. Plovdiv Airport CEO Krassimir Peshev confirmed the aircraft landed safely.
The security alerts extended beyond Bulgaria, with an Aer Lingus flight travelling from Dublin to Rome diverted to the Évreux military air base in Normandy, France.
The aircraft was carrying 151 passengers and six crew members, all of whom were reported safe. Military bomb disposal teams subsequently examined the plane.
In the Czech Republic, four aircraft that landed in Prague following bomb threats were subjected to security searches. Police later confirmed the inspections found nothing suspicious.
A LOT Polish Airlines flight travelling from Warsaw to Brussels also landed safely following a bomb threat. Security checks found no hazardous or suspicious objects. Separately, a Wizz Air flight from Milan to Bucharest landed safely after receiving a similar threat.
The alerts also disrupted operations at Warsaw’s Chopin Airport, where authorities temporarily closed a runway to carry out security checks after a reported threat against a LOT flight.
Series of threats raises wider security concerns
The latest incidents come amid a series of similar bomb threats reported earlier in the week, on November 3, involving airlines including LOT, Scandinavian Airlines, Wizz Air and Ryanair.
A Wizz Air flight bound for Bulgaria was also diverted to Hungary after a security alert.
While initial inspections at several airports have found no evidence of explosives, the frequency and geographic spread of the threats have raised concerns about aviation security in Europe.
Authorities have not established whether the incidents are connected or identified those responsible for issuing the threats. European officials have also flagged concerns about potential hybrid threats amid heightened geopolitical tensions.
Published: 05 Nov 2026, 05:33 pm IST
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