Europe’s Skies on Edge: The Response Behind a Wave of Bomb Threats

Multiple flights across Europe were diverted, escorted by fighter jets, or searched this week after bomb threats, but authorities have found no explosives, identified no suspect, and received no claim of responsibility. The alerts began on Monday, intensified on Tuesday and resumed on Thursday, affecting airlines including Aer Lingus, Finnair, Ryanair, Wizz Air and LOT, while police in several countries investigate whether the incidents are connected.

The threats have forced emergency landings and precautionary diversions reportedly in France, Italy, Bulgaria, Austria, Belgium and elsewhere, disrupting passengers without any confirmed explosive device being discovered. The UK government has described threats, against flights leaving Britain, as “malicious hoax threats”, although investigators have not yet said who sent them or whether they were coordinated.

What Happened

On Thursday, November 5, airlines across Europe received a second wave of bomb threats in less than a week. Flights bound for Rome, Prague, Sofia, Warsaw, Brussels and Bucharest were among those affected, with some aircraft diverted to alternative airports or military airfields.

One of the prominent incidents involved Aer Lingus flight EI402, travelling from Dublin to Rome, as reported by AP. The Airbus A320 was diverted to Évreux-Fauville air base in Normandy after a bomb alert, where passengers and crew were moved to a safe location and military bomb-disposal teams examined the aircraft.

Bomb threats are forcing airliners to make unplanned landings across Europe, the latest in a series of threats targeting flights in Europe. Aer Lingus flight EI402 from Dublin to Rome landed safely at Evreux airport, 100 km west of Paris, after being diverted as a security precaution, the Irish airline said in a statement. Belgian media reported that an airliner forced to land at Brussels' Zaventem airport belonged to the Polish airline LOT. A Finnair plane from Helsinki was safely escorted to its scheduled landing in Rome by the Italian air force. Bulgarian officials reported three aircraft making emergency landings because of bomb threats. Airplanes flying from Copenhagen and Madrid landed in Sofia. A third aircraft, from London, landed in Plovdiv. Four airplanes heading to Prague received bomb threats on Thursday and police were preparing for their landing, Czech police said on X, adding they assessed the credibility of the threats as low. While no country has attributed blame for the threats, ⁠they come at a time when European officials have been blaming both Russia and Iran for what they describe as 'hybrid attacks' and acts of sabotage. Moscow and Tehran both deny any such campaign. #planes #flights #bombthreats #europe #eu

— CGTN Europe (@CGTNEurope) November 5, 2026

France’s prime minister’s office confirmed the diversion and said the aircraft had landed safely. Aer Lingus said the diversion was made “as a security precaution”.

The Affected Flights

How the Threats were Sent

Several of the alerts were sent by anonymous email, according to officials and airport representatives.

A representative of Václav Havel Airport Prague said the threats concerning four Prague-bound flights were made in an anonymous email. In Bulgaria, border police said it received an email alleging an improvised explosive device on a Bergamo–Sofia flight, which also referred to a similar threat against a Dublin–Sofia service, reports CNN.

In Italy, a Fiumicino airport official with knowledge of the events told AP that both Ryanair threats involving flights to Rome were sent by email. Not every threat’s exact method of delivery has been publicly confirmed, and authorities have not ruled out other channels.

Fighter Jets and Emergency Responses

The alerts triggered a major security response across several countries. Bulgaria’s air force said MiG-29 fighter jets took off from Graf Ignatievo Air Base at 10:11 local time to intercept and escort three civilian aircraft. Two later landed at Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport and one at Plovdiv Airport.

#BulgarianNews 🛫 #Inspections at Sofia #Airport Find No #Explosives on Two Aircraft after Bomb #Threats. Read more in the comments. 👇 https://t.co/lW7zlAI9ys

— Bulgarian News Agency (@BTAnewsENG) November 3, 2026

In Italy, Italian Air Force jets escorted Finnair’s Helsinki–Rome flight into Fiumicino Airport. Police bomb-disposal experts then inspected the aircraft and found no explosives, according to Aeroporti di Roma. 

In Romania, nearly 200 passengers were evacuated from Wizz Air flight WMT3064 after it landed at Bucharest’s Henri Coandă International Airport. Airport officials said a specialist explosives-disposal team from Romania’s Intelligence Service was inspecting the plane, while air traffic continued according to schedule.

Official Response

The UK government said the country had “one of the most robust aviation security systems in the world”, with well-tested procedures for dealing with potential threats and “malicious hoax threats”. The Metropolitan Police reportedly said its aviation unit was monitoring the situation and that no security issues had been identified after threats were made against flights after takeoff.

Czech police said on X that they were preparing for the landing of four flights after receiving threats concerning an improvised explosive device. The force assessed the relevance of the threats as low but said pyrotechnic inspections would be conducted on all aircraft. It later said no explosives were found.

CZECH POLICE ON X: FOUR PLANES HEADING TO PRAGUE HAVE FACED BOMB THREAT; PREPARING FOR THEIR LANDING

— CGTN Europe (@CGTNEurope) November 5, 2026

 Bulgaria’s Transport Ministry confirmed that bomb threats had been made against three Ryanair flights arriving in the country, as per Europe’s CGTN. 

BULGARIA'S TRANSPORT MINISTRY SAYS INSPECTIONS CARRIED OUT AFTER BOMB THREATS AGAINST THREE AIRCRAFT IDENTIFIED NO ISSUES

— CGTN Europe (@CGTNEurope) November 5, 2026

Bulgaria’s air force further confirmed the escort operation involving its MiG-29 jets.

#BulgarianNews 🛩 Bulgarian #Air Force #Scrambles MiG-29s in Response to Bomb #Threats against #Passenger Aircraft. Read more in the comments. 👇 https://t.co/EtYV6HOZ6Y

— Bulgarian News Agency (@BTAnewsENG) November 5, 2026

Who is Responsible?

No one has been identified as responsible, and no individual or group has claimed responsibility. Multiple reports find that no one claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s threats and that no explosive devices were found. Bulgarian acting interior ministry secretary general Lyubomir Nikolov said authorities were still working to identify the sender of the threat. The UK government described the threats as malicious hoaxes but did not say who was behind them or whether they were coordinated.

There is no confirmed evidence that a hostile state, terrorist group or named individual is responsible. The Guardian reported that investigators saw no immediate evidence of a hostile state and were continuing to share information across Europe while inquiries continued.

Are the Incidents Linked?

Police and airport authorities in several countries are investigating whether the alerts are connected, but no link has been officially established. Brussels Airport said its federal police were investigating a possible connection with earlier similar incidents.

Opnieuw verschillende bommeldingen op Europese vluchten, ook vlucht naar Brussel kreeg verdachte melding https://t.co/vYo9QSGKjS

— VRT NWS (@vrtnws) November 5, 2026

Aviation security expert Marco Chan told BBC Verify that the threats were “most likely a hoax”, but that the aviation system was right to treat them as real. He said three days of incidents was too small a sample to distinguish coordination from copycat behaviour. Osprey Flight Solutions co-founder Matthew Borie told AP that possible explanations included copycats, one person or group making multiple threats, or hybrid-warfare activity by state actors or their supporters. He did not provide evidence linking any state to the incidents.

Why a Disruptive Response?

Bomb threats impose a heavy cost on airlines, airports and air forces even when they prove false. Aircraft may be diverted, fighter jets scrambled, passengers evacuated, terminals closed and bomb-disposal teams deployed. Chan told BBC Verify that the “cost to the sender is almost nothing” compared with the impact on airlines, airports and air forces. He said that asymmetry was central to the tactic, whatever the motive be. Aviation security professor Philip Baum said that most fake threats come from people seeking disruption or amusement, but that specific and credible-sounding threats still require a response, as reported by The Guardian.

What Happens Next

Investigators are expected to continue examining the messages, their routing and any links between the alerts. Airlines and airports are likely to maintain heightened security procedures while no sender has been identified. For now, the only conclusion may remain that the threats caused substantial disruption but no explosives have been found, until statements are further released by officials and authorities.