Seven European flights were disrupted on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, due to bomb threat hoaxes. The affected flights operated by LOT Polish Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), Ryanair, and Wizz Air involved routes to and from Poland, Italy, Spain, and Bulgaria.
Flight Disruptions and Security Responses
A LOT Polish Airlines flight from London Heathrow to Warsaw was diverted to Warsaw Modlin Airport, which temporarily suspended operations to conduct security checks. SAS flight SK751 from Copenhagen to Warsaw landed normally at Warsaw Chopin Airport; however, one runway was temporarily closed as a precaution. Two Ryanair flights arriving at Rome Fiumicino Airport from Lisbon and Dublin were searched
after arrival. The Dublin to Rome Ryanair flight was escorted by two Italian Air Force Eurofighters. In Spain, Ryanair’s Manchester to Murcia flight was inspected following landing, and passengers were evacuated. Bulgarian authorities conducted security checks on Wizz Air and Ryanair flights arriving from Bergamo and Dublin to Sofia without diverting the aircraft.
Passenger Experiences and Operational Impact
Passengers on the Manchester to Murcia Ryanair flight, carrying 121 people including crew, were asked to evacuate the aircraft upon landing and leave belongings behind. Sarah, a passenger on that flight, said passengers learned only after evacuation that the incident involved a bomb threat. Ryanair deployed a
replacement aircraft from Alicante for the return Murcia to Manchester flight, which was delayed by approximately three and a half hours. The Bergamo to Sofia Wizz Air flight carried 176 passengers, and the Dublin to Sofia Ryanair flight transported 186 people; both faced security inspections after receiving terror-related email threats but were not diverted.
Official Statements Confirm No Explosives Found
LOT Polish Airlines stated no explosive devices were found on the diverted aircraft. SAS confirmed the Copenhagen to Warsaw flight landed safely with all passengers disembarked. The Bulgarian Transport Ministry verified no explosives were discovered on flights to Sofia. Rome Fiumicino Airport officials confirmed the implementation
of anti-bomb procedures and confirmed the presence of military escort for the Dublin to Rome Ryanair flight. Spanish government representatives discarded explosives on the Manchester to Murcia Ryanair flight. Polish airport officials reported that Warsaw Modlin Airport resumed normal operations after clearing security checks. Bulgarian border police acknowledged receiving email threats reporting improvised explosive devices and activating standard procedures in response.
Security Protocols and Expert Commentary
Authorities treated all threats as genuine until proven otherwise, activating protocols involving aircraft search, passenger evacuation, and law enforcement investigations. Aviation security experts emphasize that visible responses such as military escorts or temporary runway closures do not indicate confirmed
explosives. Marco Chan, former airline pilot and senior lecturer in aviation operations at Kingston University, noted that a bomb threat is considered “genuine until it is resolved, even though most turn out to be hoaxes.” Aircraft involved were often moved to isolated stands for thorough police and bomb disposal team inspections before normal operations resumed. These procedures were consistent across all affected airports during the incidents.
Background and Investigation
The bomb threat hoaxes fall within a pattern of low-cost, deniable disruptive acts affecting European aviation. No group has claimed responsibility for the threats. Authorities in the involved countries are cooperating to determine whether
these incidents are linked. The seven flights disrupted on 3 November 2026 followed a separate bomb threat the previous day involving a Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Sofia, which was diverted to Budapest with a Hungarian Air Force Gripen fighter escort. Despite the scale of disruption and heightened security responses, no explosives were found during any of the searches, and no injuries were reported.
