European flight bomb threats disrupted more than a dozen services, triggering diversions and security checks. Passengers and crew were reported safe
More than a dozen passenger flights across Europe were disrupted by a wave of bomb threats on Thursday, November 5, 2026, prompting diversions, emergency landings and security inspections, while passengers and crew were reported safe.
Authorities and airlines said at least 14 flights were targeted, with services involving Dublin, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Madrid, Milan and Warsaw among those affected. Inspections had not found explosives or suspicious materials, although investigations into the threats remained ongoing.
One of the most significant incidents involved Aer Lingus Flight EI402, an Airbus A320 travelling from Dublin to Rome. The aircraft was diverted to Évreux air base in Normandy, France, after a bomb alert.
The French Prime Minister’s office said all 151 passengers and six crew members were safely moved from the aircraft. Bomb disposal teams were deployed to inspect the plane, while French authorities opened an investigation.
The flight was escorted by a French military aircraft after Italian authorities alerted France to the threat. Aer Lingus said the diversion was made as a “security precaution” and that it would work to get passengers to their final destination as soon as possible.
Several Ryanair flights bound for Sofia, Bulgaria, were also affected. Services from Madrid and Copenhagen landed safely in Sofia, while a flight from London Stansted was diverted to Plovdiv.
Bulgarian fighter jets escorted the aircraft, and security checks found no explosives. Authorities said airport operations at Sofia and Plovdiv later returned to normal.
A Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome was escorted by Italian air force fighter jets after an emailed threat.
The aircraft landed safely at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport, where bomb disposal experts completed security checks without finding explosives.
Finnair also reported a threat involving a flight from Helsinki to Vienna.
Other affected services included a LOT Polish Airlines flight from Warsaw to Brussels, which landed safely and was inspected, and Wizz Air flights from Milan that were subject to threats or diversions. Czech police also carried out searches on four aircraft that landed in Prague after receiving alerts.
Britain’s Transport Secretary, Heidi Alexander, described the threats as “malicious hoax threats”, saying established procedures were being followed to respond to them.
The incidents came after a series of similar threats earlier in the week, which led to aircraft inspections, diversions and airport disruption in several European countries. Authorities have not established whether the latest threats are connected.
The European Union’s transport commissioner said an aviation-security information-sharing mechanism had been activated as investigations continued. Officials have not confirmed the source of the threats or established whether they were part of a coordinated operation.
Although the alerts caused disruption for passengers and airlines, authorities said the affected aircraft were checked under established security procedures and no explosives had been found.
The investigations remain ongoing, with aviation authorities and law enforcement agencies working to determine who issued the threats and whether the incidents are linked.
