A new wave of false bomb threats disrupted European air traffic on Thursday, November 5, affecting at least 27 passenger flights across more than ten European countries. Several aircraft were diverted to alternative airports following security alerts, while military fighter jets were scrambled in France, Italy, Bulgaria, and Croatia to intercept and escort civilian aircraft. According to Reuters and aviation news outlet AeroTime, no explosives have been found during security inspections conducted so far, and all affected aircraft landed safely.

The scale of the incidents prompted a response from the European Commission, which activated an EU-level aviation security information-sharing mechanism. European Commissioner for Transport Apostolos Tzitzikostas confirmed that the Commission was working closely with member states and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), while national security authorities continued their investigations. He emphasized that it was too early to determine whether the threats were connected.

One of the more significant incidents involved Aer Lingus flight EI402 from Dublin to Rome. The Airbus A320 was diverted to Évreux-Fauville Air Base in Normandy after French authorities received a bomb threat. The French Air and Space Force deployed fighter jets to intercept and escort the passenger aircraft to its landing. The aircraft was carrying 151 passengers and six crew members, who were evacuated to safety after landing while military bomb disposal specialists began inspecting the aircraft.

Meanwhile, the Bulgarian Air Force scrambled MiG-29 fighter jets from Graf Ignatievo Air Base to intercept three Ryanair flights bound for Sofia. Flights FR3606 from Copenhagen and FR6410 from Madrid continued to their scheduled destination, while flight FR1730 from London Stansted was diverted to Plovdiv. All three aircraft landed safely, and subsequent inspections found nothing suspicious.

A security intervention also took place in Croatian airspace. According to the Croatian Ministry of Defence, a Croatian Air Force Rafale intercepted Finnair flight AY1761 from Helsinki to Rome at 08:41 local time, over an area between Jastrebarsko and Karlovac. The interception was carried out following an order from NATO’s Combined Air Operations Centre in Torrejón, Spain. The Croatian fighter escorted the passenger aircraft until it left Croatian airspace, after which two Italian Eurofighter jets took over and accompanied the Finnair aircraft to Rome Fiumicino Airport. A security inspection conducted after landing found no evidence of a threat.

Finnair faced another bomb threat that day, this time involving flight AY1471 from Helsinki to Vienna. The aircraft landed safely in the Austrian capital, where the threat was also determined to be unfounded. Vienna Airport received threats concerning several additional flights, while Wizz Air flight W46387 from Milan to Warsaw was diverted to Vienna following a bomb alert.

In the Czech Republic, security services responded to threats targeting four aircraft approaching Prague’s Václav Havel Airport. Although police assessed the threats as having low credibility, bomb disposal teams inspected all four aircraft after landing. No dangerous items were discovered, and the investigation was handed over to the Czech National Centre Against Terrorism, Extremism and Cybercrime.

In Poland, LOT Polish Airlines flight LO331 from Warsaw to Paris was stopped while taxiing toward the runway after authorities received a warning about a potentially dangerous object on board. Passengers were transferred to a replacement aircraft, and one of Warsaw Chopin Airport’s runways was temporarily closed. Another LOT flight, LO235 from Warsaw to Brussels, was also targeted by a security threat. The crew inspected the cabin during the flight, while Belgian authorities carried out additional checks after landing, finding no suspicious items.

The threats also reached Romania, where security services inspected Wizz Air flight W43064 from Milan to Bucharest. The aircraft was carrying 182 passengers and seven crew members. Later, a threat was also reported against Air Serbia flight JU102 from Belgrade to Bucharest. Both aircraft landed safely, and the inspections revealed no security threats.

Spain’s Civil Guard reported receiving three threatening emails within approximately 20 minutes, targeting six flights. These included four Iberia flights arriving in Madrid from Rome and Milan, as well as two Air Europa flights departing Madrid for Paris. Additional threats were reported in Milan, where aircraft operated by Aegean Airlines and Ryanair underwent inspections, and in Copenhagen, where police and military personnel responded to suspicious circumstances involving two aircraft.

The incidents followed a similar series of threats that affected European aviation on November 3, when flights operated by Ryanair, Wizz Air, LOT Polish Airlines, and SAS were targeted. Several aircraft were diverted or subjected to additional security inspections on that occasion as well, but no explosives were found.

Although the incidents occurred within a short period and affected numerous otherwise unrelated flights and airports, authorities have not officially confirmed a common origin or identified those responsible for the threats. The possibility that such incidents could represent a form of coordinated disruption targeting critical infrastructure has increasingly been raised in European security discussions. However, no verified evidence currently links the latest incidents to specific perpetrators or states.

Beyond the immediate operational disruptions, such threats impose substantial costs on airlines and airports, require the deployment of police and military resources, and can trigger knock-on delays throughout the air transport network. Although the threats investigated so far have proved false, security authorities continue to emphasize the importance of following established procedures and responding appropriately to every reported threat.