A wave of flight disruptions hit Europe on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, as multiple passenger aircraft were targeted by a series of suspected bomb threats. Security services and bomb disposal squads have been deployed across several countries to inspect the affected aircraft, leading to emergency diversions and partial airport closures.
All targeted aircraft have landed safely, and initial security sweeps in several locations have already ruled out the presence of explosives, confirming them as false alarms.
- London Heathrow to Warsaw (LOT Polish Airlines Flight LO286): This Boeing 737 MAX, carrying 181 people, was forced to make an unscheduled emergency landing at Warsaw-Modlin Airport (the city’s secondary hub) instead of Warsaw Chopin. The incident caused a temporary full closure of Modlin Airport while passengers were evacuated to the arrivals hall and the aircraft was swept. The alert has since been called off and Modlin has resumed normal operations.
- Manchester to Murcia (Ryanair): Carrying 121 people, this flight made an emergency landing at Murcia-Corvera Airport in southern Spain. Spanish Guardia Civil and local fire brigades swarmed the plane, but authorities have already ruled out the presence of explosives, allowing the airport to resume normal operations.
- Copenhagen to Warsaw (SAS): This flight landed as planned at Warsaw Chopin Airport but was immediately isolated on the apron for security sweeps. Passengers disembarked safely, and Chopin airport operations were not significantly impacted despite a temporary partial runway closure.
- Israel to Sofia (Airline unconfirmed): Bulgarian media reported that a flight departing from Israel received a bomb threat via email before landing in the capital city of Sofia. Security teams were mobilised to inspect the aircraft upon arrival.
The cluster of threats follows an incident just one day prior, on Monday, 2 November 2026. A Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Sofia, Bulgaria, was forced to make an emergency landing in Budapest, Hungary, after a mid-air bomb threat. The commercial aircraft had to be escorted through Hungarian airspace by a military fighter jet. Security checks subsequently found nothing hazardous on board.
Unconfirmed reports also indicate anonymous tips prompted searches on two separate Ryanair flights originating from Dublin and Lisbon around the same timeframe.
While no individual or group has claimed responsibility for the coordinated influx of hoax emails and calls, the timing has sparked serious concern among European intelligence agencies
