WorldPosted at: Nov 5 2026 7:48PM


EU rules out any connection between series of bomb threats targeting passenger flights, says it’s too early to establish anything

Brussels, Nov 5 (UNI) The European union has ruled out any connection between the series of bomb threats targeting passenger flights across the continent, stating that it is too early to claim as such, though authorities across the bloc reported more than 20 incidents this week and several countries scrambled fighter jets to escort affected aircraft.
At least 14 European flights received bomb alerts on Thursday, the third day of such incidents this week, according to authorities and airlines. Italian, French and Bulgarian military aircraft were deployed, while several flights were diverted. All the aircraft landed safely and no explosives were found.
“Any threats against civilians are unacceptable,” EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said in a post on X, adding that it was “too early to draw conclusions on whether the reported incidents are linked”.
The threats have particularly targeted low-cost airlines and flights travelling to or from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic and Italy.
Ryanair was among the most frequently affected carriers, with at least seven reported incidents this week. Three of its flights bound for Sofia from Madrid, Copenhagen and London Stansted received bomb threats, a spokesperson for Bulgaria's Transport Ministry said.
Two aircraft landed in Sofia, while the London Stansted flight was diverted to Plovdiv, east of the capital. Bulgarian Air Force jets escorted all three planes, with the Defence Ministry saying such missions were intended to detect, identify and accompany affected aircraft.
All three aircraft were subsequently inspected, with no explosives discovered, an Interior Ministry spokesperson confirmed.
An Italian Air Force fighter jet also escorted a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome, where bomb disposal experts inspected the aircraft. Finnair spokesperson Stiina Tuunanen said nothing unusual had been found.
“Finnair has a very clear process that we follow in situations like this and we always work closely with the local authorities,” Tuunanen said. She also confirmed that another false threat had targeted flight AY1471 from Helsinki to Vienna but provided no further details.
A Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw was diverted to Vienna following a threat, the airline said, adding that the decision was taken in accordance with established safety procedures.
Another Wizz Air service from Milan to Bucharest landed safely at its destination. Romania's intelligence service said a crisis unit was subsequently established at Henri Coandă Airport.
An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was also diverted to France after receiving a bomb alert. French military aircraft escorted it to Évreux airbase, west of Paris.
“The flight landed safely and Aer Lingus will work to reaccommodate customers to their final destination as soon as possible,” the airline said.
Four Prague-bound aircraft operated by Ryanair, easyJet and Sky Express were also targeted. Czech police said they considered the threats to be of low credibility but had activated security procedures.
“Nevertheless, we are not underestimating the situation and all necessary security measures have been activated,” police said on X.
Prague Airport security officials said the threats had been sent through emails from anonymous addresses. It was not immediately clear which airlines were involved.
Two aircraft arriving in Copenhagen were also targeted by threats.
The origin and motives behind the alerts remain unknown, although the incidents come amid growing concern across Europe over so-called hybrid attacks, which authorities have sometimes linked to Russia and Iran.
Nicolas Roche, France's secretary-general for defence and national security, told parliament last month that Europe was witnessing an increase in hybrid operations involving sabotage, cyberattacks, drones and espionage.
The latest incidents follow 10 bomb threats targeting flights on Tuesday, all of which proved to be hoaxes. The alerts prompted the temporary closure of an airport in Warsaw and the deployment of Italian fighter jets to escort aircraft.
On Monday, a Wizz Air flight from London's Luton Airport to Sofia was diverted to Budapest and forced to make an emergency landing following a bomb threat.
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Tags: #EU rules out any connection between series of bomb threats targeting passenger flights# says it’s too early to establish anything
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