Hoax bomb threats disrupt European flights and cruise ship

Thursday disruptions

Hoax bomb threats disrupted flights across Europe on Thursday, November 5, 2026. Al Jazeera reported that the warnings disrupted at least 27 passenger flights across France, Italy, Bulgaria, Spain, Denmark, Poland, Romania, Ireland, the United Kingdom and the Czech Republic, among others. Radio-Canada reported at least 25 affected flights.

French authorities said an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was rerouted to France after a suspected bomb threat. The office of French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu said fighter jets were sent to intercept the plane and escort it to the Evreux airbase, west of Paris, after the pilot did not cooperate with authorities as expected. France’s air force said it scrambled military aircraft “as soon as the threat was reported”. Lecornu’s office said a bomb squad was in place at the base and that 151 passengers and six crew were moved to safety.

Bulgaria’s air force said its fighter jets had escorted three airliners to the ground after bomb threats. Two of the planes, which departed from Copenhagen and Madrid, landed in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia. A Ryanair flight from London to Sofia was diverted to Plovdiv. Bulgaria’s transport ministry told Reuters that “Upon landing, the necessary inspections were carried out in accordance with the applicable procedures and no issues were identified,” adding that normal airport operations had resumed.

Spanish police said three emailed threats arrived within 20 minutes, involving two Air Europa departures from Madrid to Paris and four inbound Iberia flights from Rome and Milan. Several aircraft were halted or returned to their stands in Madrid and passengers disembarked while the planes were inspected.

Four aircraft heading to Prague also received bomb threats. Czech police said all underwent pyrotechnic inspections, which yielded negative results. “The investigation of the threats has been taken over by NCTEKK [the National Centre against Terrorism, Extremism and Cybercrime] and currently no further information can be provided,” the police said on the social media platform X.

In Belgium, LOT Polish Airlines said that a flight from Warsaw to Brussels landed safely at its destination after a security warning. A LOT spokesperson said: “Following receipt of information regarding a potential security threat to flight LO235 from Warsaw to Brussels, the flight crew was notified of the situation and conducted an onboard inspection in accordance with established procedures. No suspicious items were found.”

A Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw was rerouted to Vienna after a hoax bomb threat was reported. “The diversion was carried out in accordance with established safety protocols and procedures,” Wizz Air said in a statement.

A Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome was escorted to the Italian capital by a fighter jet and checked by bomb disposal experts. A threat was also made against a Helsinki-Vienna flight operated by Jettime. The plane landed in the Austrian capital without incident.

Earlier threats and cruise ship

The disruption followed similar threats on Tuesday, November 3. At least seven flights and a cruise ship received bomb threats on that day, causing disruption at airports across Europe, although no devices were discovered.

An airport in Warsaw was briefly shut. The Italian Air Force accompanied one of the flights to Rome. An Israel-bound cruise ship was searched for bombs in Greece.

Authorities diverted a LOT flight from London that was meant to land at Warsaw’s Chopin airport to nearby Modlin airport, which was closed and then reopened after the plane was searched and no device was found. Another Warsaw-bound flight, an SAS flight from Copenhagen, landed at Chopin as scheduled. Chopin airport said no device was found and the airport remained operational.

Bomb threats were made against planes travelling from Milan/Bergamo and Dublin to Sofia. Both landed safely and no explosive devices were found on inspection. The Bergamo flight was operated by Wizz Air and was carrying 176 passengers. The Dublin flight, operated by Ryanair, had 186 passengers on board.

A day earlier, a Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia was diverted to Budapest airport after receiving a bomb threat, Hungarian Defence Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi said in a Facebook post.

In Murcia in southeastern Spain, parts of an airport were cordoned off on Tuesday after a bomb threat was reported on a Ryanair flight from Manchester. Officials said the report proved to be a hoax, and the airport resumed normal operations after authorities found no explosives on board.

Two other Ryanair flights – one from Lisbon and another from Dublin – were searched at Rome’s Fiumicino airport following bomb threats. The Dublin flight was escorted by the Italian Air Force until it landed.

An explosives detection dog and a diver searched the Panama-flagged Crown Iris cruise ship on the Greek island of Syros after an unknown person said an explosive device had been attached to the boat’s hull. Initial checks found no explosive device.

Context and investigation

While no country has attributed blame for the threats, they come as many European officials are accusing Russia of planning “hybrid attacks” – which are often cheap, easily deniable and not expected to trigger an armed response. UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander told British media that flights across Europe were hit by “malicious hoax threats”.

The European Union said it was not yet clear whether the hoax bomb alerts were connected, and that it was following events closely with national authorities. “Any threats against civilians are unacceptable,” EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas wrote on X, adding that it was “too early to draw conclusions on whether the reported incidents are linked”.

Russia and Iran have denied accusations of involvement in hybrid attacks and acts of sabotage. No evidence has yet established that Russia, Iran or any other state was responsible for the latest aviation incidents.

Why it matters

The repeated hoax threats have forced emergency landings, fighter-jet escorts and airport closures across multiple European countries, disrupting air travel and raising concerns about coordinated disruption of essential services. Authorities continue to investigate whether the threats are linked to broader hybrid operations or to individuals and copycats.

Sources

• aljazeera.com: New bomb threats force more European flights into emergency landings | Aviation News | Al Jazeera
• nationthailand.com: Hoax bomb threats disrupt at least 27 passenger flights across Europe
• scmp.com: Fake bomb threats on flights and cruise ship cause travel disruption in Europe | South China Morning Post
• deccanherald.com: Multiple flights across Europe diverted over bomb alerts, threats disrupt air traffic for third day this week
• ici.radio-canada.ca: Bomb threats affect at least 25 flights, leading to emergency landings at several European airports | Radio-Canada.ca
• biz.chosun.com: Bomb threats rattle European flights as analysts eye Russia, Iran hybrid ops - CHOSUNBIZ

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.