New Wave of Bomb Threats Diverts Flights Across Europe for Second Time in a Week

Update: Flight count rises to at least 18 and officials call the threats malicious hoaxes

Updated 16:14 UTC, Nov. 5, 2026. At least 18 flights across Europe were hit by bomb threats on Thursday, up from the at least 12 aircraft reported earlier in the day, including four Ryanair planes and one flight that took off from London. No explosives have been found in searches so far. UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said the flights have been impacted by "malicious hoax threats."

The Associated Press reported that more than a dozen flights from cities including Copenhagen, Dublin, Helsinki, Madrid, Milan and Warsaw were confirmed targeted, most diverted for emergency landings, and that inspections have not turned up hazardous or suspicious materials. EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said an EU level information-sharing mechanism on aviation security had been activated and national investigations remain ongoing. "It is too early to draw conclusions on whether the reported incidents are linked," he said. It is also too early to say whether this is a cyberattack.

Named diversions on Thursday included Aer Lingus flight EI402 from Dublin to Rome, diverted to the Evreux military air base in Normandy, Ryanair flights from Copenhagen and Madrid landing in Sofia, a Ryanair flight from London Stansted diverted to Plovdiv, and a Wizz Air flight from Milan Malpensa to Warsaw diverted to Vienna. Aegean Airlines confirmed two of its flights, Thessaloniki to Milan and Athens to Vienna, received bomb threats that proved to be hoaxes. Finnair said two of its flights faced unfounded hoax bomb scares.

Airlines across Europe received a series of bomb threats on Thursday, November 5, 2026, forcing flights to divert, land under escort or wait for bomb checks. It was the second wave in one week. None of the threats immediately proved to be genuine, Reuters reported.

At least 12 passenger aircraft were diverted or put through emergency security procedures on Thursday, according to Aerospace Global News. They were operated by Wizz Air, Aer Lingus, Ryanair, Finnair and LOT Polish Airlines, with incidents in France, Bulgaria, Belgium and Italy. The Times put the Thursday total at more than a dozen flights, and Guardian reporting put it at at least 15 flights affected.

The Aer Lingus diversion

Aer Lingus flight EI402, an Airbus A320 flying from Dublin to Rome, landed safely at Evreux airport in Normandy, 100 kilometres west of Paris, after it was diverted as a security precaution, the airline said. The flight carried 151 passengers and six crew. It was escorted on approach by a French Rafale fighter jet, according to Le Figaro reporting cited by The Times, and Italian authorities had told French officials about the threat.

"The flight landed safely and Aer Lingus will work to reaccommodate customers to their final destination as soon as possible," the airline said in a statement reported by Bloomberg. All 151 passengers and six crew were moved to safety and bomb disposal teams worked on the aircraft, the French prime minister's office said.

Landings from Sofia to Prague

Bulgarian officials reported three aircraft making emergency landings in the country. Flights from Copenhagen and Madrid landed safely in Sofia, the interior minister said, and a third aircraft from London was diverted to Plovdiv. The three were Ryanair services, according to Aerospace Global News.

Czech police said four airplanes heading to Prague had received bomb threats and that authorities were preparing for their landings. Police assessed the credibility of the threats as low. "Nevertheless, we are not underestimating the threat, which is why all necessary security measures have been activated with minimal impact on passengers and airport operations," Czech police said, in comments reported by The Times.

In Italy, the air force escorted a Finnair plane from Helsinki to its scheduled landing in Rome. A Finnair spokesperson told CNN the flight was escorted by two Italian air force fighter jets and that Italian police were carrying out bomb checks, with no interruption to airport services. Another Finnair flight, operated by Jettime, landed as normal in Vienna after a bomb threat, later called unfounded. A Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw landed in Vienna, and a second Wizz Air flight, from Milan Malpensa to Bucharest, landed at its destination and was inspected after 182 passengers and seven crew were evacuated. Two more planes, an Aegean Airlines flight from Thessaloniki and a Ryanair flight from Porto, landed safely at Milan Malpensa after bomb alerts, ANSA news agency said.

LOT said a Warsaw to Brussels flight landed safely after a security warning and no suspicious items were found. A second LOT flight to Paris was stopped while taxiing for take-off and its passengers were moved to another aircraft.

Second wave in four days

On Tuesday, November 3, at least seven flights and a cruise ship received bomb threats across Europe and no devices were discovered. The Times reported at least 22 flights in four days have faced bomb threats in total. No country has attributed blame for the Thursday threats, and authorities have not established whether they are connected. European officials have blamed Russia and Iran for what they describe as hybrid attacks and acts of sabotage. Moscow and Tehran deny any such campaign, Reuters reported.