Key points
- At least a dozen flights across Europe received bomb threats on Thursday morning, The Guardian and The Times reported, in the second wave of threats against European aviation this week.
- An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a French military air base in Normandy; a Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw was diverted to Vienna; and a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome was escorted by Italian fighter jets.
- Three Ryanair flights bound for Bulgaria were searched after landing in Sofia and Plovdiv, and four aircraft heading for Prague also received threats, Czech police said.
- No explosive device has been found in any of the searches, according to authorities in several countries, and no one has claimed responsibility.
- The threats follow a wave on Tuesday, when at least seven flights and a cruise ship were targeted; the British government called those threats a malicious hoax.
Bomb threats forced passenger aircraft to divert and make emergency landings across Europe on Thursday morning, the latest in a series of threats that has disrupted air travel on the continent this week. At least a dozen flights were affected, according to The Guardian and The Times, with aircraft from five airlines — Aer Lingus, Wizz Air, Finnair, Ryanair and LOT Polish Airlines — among those targeted.
The key figures
| Measure | Figure | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Flights facing bomb threats on Thursday | At least 12 | The Guardian / The Times |
| Flights facing bomb threats on Tuesday | At least 7, plus a cruise ship | Associated Press |
| Flights facing bomb threats in four days | At least 20 | The Times |
| Aircraft heading for Prague that received threats | 4 | Czech police |
| Passengers aboard Aer Lingus flight EI402 | 151, plus 6 crew | French prime minister's office |
| Explosive devices found | None reported | Authorities in several countries, via NBC News |
Diverted, searched and escorted
The first of Thursday's threats to be reported was aboard Aer Lingus flight EI402, an Airbus A320 flying from Dublin to Rome with 151 passengers and six crew. The aircraft was diverted to the French military air base at Évreux, in Normandy, escorted by French military aircraft, and bomb disposal teams began examining it after landing. Read our earlier report on flight EI402.
A Wizz Air flight from Milan Malpensa to Warsaw, flight W46387, was diverted to Vienna after a bomb threat was received during the flight, the airline confirmed. A Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome Fiumicino, flight AY1761, was escorted to its scheduled landing in Rome by the Italian air force, the Associated Press reported, citing a source close to the matter.
Three Ryanair flights bound for Bulgaria were also affected. Two of the aircraft, from Copenhagen and Madrid, landed in Sofia, and a third, from London Stansted, was diverted to Plovdiv, Bulgarian broadcaster BNT reported, according to The Guardian. Bulgaria's interior minister confirmed that aircraft from Copenhagen and Madrid had landed in Sofia, the Associated Press reported.
A LOT Polish Airlines flight from Warsaw to Brussels was forced to land at Brussels airport, Belgian media reported, according to the Associated Press. A second Finnair flight, from Helsinki to Vienna, also received a bomb threat, The Guardian reported. And four aircraft heading for Prague received bomb threats on Thursday, Czech police said on X, adding that they were preparing for the landings and assessed the credibility of the threats as low.
A week of threats
.jpg){kind=link}
Thursday's wave came two days after bomb threats targeted at least seven flights and a cruise ship on Tuesday, forcing the brief closure of an airport outside Warsaw and the scrambling of air force planes in Rome, according to the authorities cited by the Associated Press. The British government described Tuesday's incidents as malicious hoax threats, the BBC reported. On Monday, a Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Sofia was diverted to Budapest after a mid-air threat, The Times reported.
Overall, at least 20 flights in four days have faced bomb threats, The Times reported. No explosive device has been found in any of the searches, according to authorities in various countries, NBC News reported. Whether Thursday's threats are linked to Tuesday's wave remained unclear at the time of reporting, and no one had claimed responsibility for any of them.
What happens next
Security teams are continuing to search the affected aircraft, and the authorities in several countries are investigating the origin of the threats. Europe Unfolded will report the outcome of the searches, and any statement from the airlines or the authorities, as they are confirmed.
Updates & corrections
Published 5 November 2026.
No updates or corrections have been made to this article since publication.
Sources
- The Times, "European flights diverted as at least 12 planes face 'bomb threats'", 5 November 2026, on at least a dozen flights affected, the Czech police statement on the four Prague-bound aircraft, the LOT and Wizz Air and Finnair flights, the Tuesday wave, the Monday Luton–Sofia diversion, and at least 20 flights in four days: thetimes.com
- Associated Press, via AAP, "Bomb threats force flights to land across Europe", 5 November 2026, on the EI402 diversion, the LOT landing at Brussels airport, the Finnair flight escorted by the Italian air force, the three Bulgarian landings, and Tuesday's seven flights and cruise ship: aap.com.au
- NBC News, via Newsline24, "Dublin to Rome Airbus A320 diverted to France", 5 November 2026, on no explosive devices found in any of the searches, according to authorities in various countries: newsline24.online
- The Guardian, reported via LaPresse, "Bomb threats reported on eight flights across Europe this morning", 5 November 2026, on the named flights including Finnair flight AY1471 and the Ryanair flight numbers: lapresse.us
- Wizz Air, via BritBrief, "Bomb threats across Europe confirmed as hoaxes after diversions", 5 November 2026, on the airline's confirmation that flight W46387 diverted to Vienna following a bomb threat received during the flight: britbrief.co.uk
- Al Jazeera, "Bomb threat diverts Dublin-Rome flight to France", 5 November 2026, on the EI402 diversion, the 151 passengers and six crew moved to safety, and no claim of responsibility: aljazeera.com