A new wave of bomb threats targeted 27 passenger flights on Thursday, forcing many of the planes to make emergency landing across Europe. Several countries had to scramble fighter jets to escort the planes to safety on November 5, 2026.
Several airlines were affected by the threats, including Ryanair, Aer Lingus, Wizz Air, Finnair and EasyJet and the flight operations were disturbed in countries across Europe: Italy, Spain, France, Bulgaria, Poland and several others.
An Aer Lingus flight was carrying 151 passengers and six crew members from Dublin to Rome, when it was diverted to a French military airbase in Evreux after authorities received a bomb threat.
French fighter jets intercepted the Airbus A320 and escorted it to the base, where passengers were evacuated and bomb disposal teams inspected the aircraft.
Bulgaria’s Airforce escorted three passenger planes following similar threats, a Ryanair flight was diverted to Plovdiv while it was travelling from London to Sofia.
Spanish authorities received threatening emails within 20 minutes prompting officials to perform security checks on several Air Europa and Iberia flights.
Another Wizz Air flight travelling from Milan to Warsaw was diverted to Vienna as a precaution; however, no explosives were discovered from the aircraft and authorities have launched an investigation to determine those responsible for the threats.
European security experts have raised concerns that the incidents could be part of a coordinated campaign intended to disrupt air travel across the continent.
Some analysts have suggested a possible connection to Russia’s alleged hybrid warfare activities across Europe. However, no evidence established Moscow’s involvement, and Russia has denied allegations of conducting any such operations.Â
