At least 34 flights across Europe were disrupted by hoax bomb threats this week, including at least 25 flights on Thursday, 5 November 2026, according to reports from the Guardian. These threats forced multiple flights to divert or make emergency landings across airports in Italy, Ireland, the United Kingdom, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Finland, Austria, Denmark, Belgium, Portugal, France, Greece, Serbia, and Czechia.
Ryanair, Aer Lingus, Wizz Air, Finnair, easyJet, Aegean Airlines, Iberia, Sky Express, Air Serbia, and LOT Polish Airlines reported incidents. For example, a Ryanair flight from London Stansted to Cork was delayed due to an anonymous phone
threat, while a Ryanair flight on the route from Pescara, Italy to Brussels-Charleroi underwent inspection after the word “bomb” was found written inside its toilet. An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to Évreux, France, after a bomb threat led to an initial refusal by the pilot to land at a French military base.
Hoax bomb threat emails were sent to airports in Rome and Sofia, signed by the “fighters of the Male State,” a Russian far-right ultranationalist group. One email stated: “We, the fighters of the Male State, will make history with our actions today. Your
feminist regime will remember this for ever. The explosion will occur in 60 minutes. Today, your skies will turn red.” Male State was founded in 2016 and is noted for its misogynistic and ultranationalist rhetoric.
The Metropolitan Police’s Aviation Police Command investigated the UK threats targeting Heathrow and Birmingham airports, where four aircraft departing or arriving at Heathrow received warnings. A police spokesperson confirmed that “no security issues [were] identified” after assessments. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto described the incidents as part of “under-threshold warfare” designed to avoid attribution and sow tensions, noting a pattern of disruptions in recent days
across Europe.
Investigations have found no link between the hoaxes and hostile terror groups or states such as Russia or Iran. The Kremlin dismissed accusations as “absurd” and “baseless,” according to spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The disruptions follow recent cyber-attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems in France and elsewhere, raising concerns about coordinated hybrid warfare tactics targeting civilian infrastructure.
Passengers on affected flights had to disembark for security inspections that delayed departures and arrivals. Despite the disruptions, the majority of Europe’s approximately 27,400 flights scheduled on 5 November proceeded as planned, according to Eurocontrol. Cork Airport confirmed the delay caused by the
phone threat but provided no further details.
Nick Careen, senior vice-president for operations, safety and security at the International Air Transport Association (Iata), condemned the attacks and stressed: “Safety is the number one priority for the industry and we take all threats seriously.” The EU Transport Commissioner said it was “too early to know if the incidents were linked” but emphasized that threats against civilians are unacceptable.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto explained the nature of the bomb threat hoaxes: “It’s called ‘under-threshold warfare’ because it’s below the attribution threshold. It’s done that way on purpose, so no one can
pin the blame.” He added that these repeated incidents form part of a campaign to stoke tensions across Europe.
The coordinated nature and volume of credible bomb threat hoaxes across multiple countries and airlines raise concerns in the aviation industry. Security experts note that although such threats occur daily, the scale this week suggests a deliberate effort to disrupt air travel. Aviation analyst Rhys Jones said airlines are likely to maintain standard security protocols while anticipating increased media scrutiny and public concern, potentially leading to heightened security measures in the short term.
