official (Bulgarian Transport Minister Georgi Peev, Spanish authorities, Modlin and Chopin airports, Hungarian Defense Minister), press (AP, BBC, Reuters via NBC News, Guardian), Nov 3
Hoax bomb threats hit seven passenger flights across Europe, with no explosives found
Seven calls, seven searches, nothing on board.
Key facts
- Flights
- Seven searched after bomb threats on Tuesday (BBC, Guardian); all were hoaxes and no one was injured (AP)
- Poland
- A LOT flight from London Heathrow to Warsaw Chopin was diverted to Modlin, which briefly closed; an SAS flight from Copenhagen landed at Chopin as planned and was checked (BBC, Reuters via NBC)
- Italy
- Two Ryanair flights, from Lisbon and Dublin, were searched in Rome; the Dublin flight was escorted by the Italian Air Force (Fiumicino sources via BBC, AP)
- Spain
- A Ryanair flight from Manchester was searched in Murcia and no explosives were found (Spanish authorities via BBC)
- Bulgaria
- Flights from Bergamo and Dublin were checked in Sofia and not diverted (Transport Minister Georgi Peev via BTA, BBC); the Guardian lists them as Wizz Air and Ryanair
- Monday
- A Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia was diverted to Budapest over a bomb threat (Hungarian Defense Minister via Reuters, NBC)
It sounds like they've been made in a credible manner across a broad range of airlines.
Aviation security expert Paul Mason, via BBC
Note
Seven passenger flights across Europe were searched after bomb threats on Tuesday, Nov 3, the BBC reports. The threats turned out to be hoaxes and no one was injured, AP reports. The airlines included LOT, Scandinavian Airlines, Wizz Air and Ryanair.
A LOT flight from London Heathrow that was due to land at Warsaw's Chopin airport was diverted to Modlin, which was briefly closed while the plane was searched, Reuters reports via NBC News. Modlin said it reopened after no device was found. An SAS flight from Copenhagen landed at Chopin as scheduled, and Chopin said no device was found.
In Rome, two Ryanair flights, from Lisbon and from Dublin, were searched at Fiumicino after anonymous tips, airport sources told the BBC. The Dublin flight was escorted by the Italian Air Force until landing. A Ryanair flight from Manchester was searched in Murcia, Spain, and Spanish authorities said no explosives were on board, the BBC reports.
Bulgarian Transport Minister Georgi Peev said two flights to Sofia, from Bergamo and Dublin, received threats; neither was diverted and no explosives were found, the BBC reports. The Guardian lists them as Wizz Air and Ryanair flights. On Monday, Nov 2, a Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia was diverted to Budapest after a bomb threat, Hungary's defense minister said, Reuters reports. It is unclear whether the incidents are connected.
Why it matters
It is unclear whether the threats are linked, the BBC reports. Each one forced a search, and one briefly shut an airport.
Sources
- AP: Flights across Europe disrupted by bomb threats that turned out to be hoaxes (Nov 3 2026)
- BBC: Bomb threats target seven flights across Europe (Nov 3 2026)
- Reuters, via NBC News (Nov 3 2026)
- Guardian Europe live (Nov 3 2026)
Primary + secondary attribution as listed.
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