Developing story
We are following this story for new developments and will update this article when significant news emerges. See the updates below.
Monitored since 5 November 2026 | last update 5 November 2026, 14:30 CET
Key takeaways
- Flights were diverted, escorted or searched in at least six European countries on Thursday after bomb threats or suspicious reports.
- No one has claimed responsibility, no government has attributed the threats, and Reuters reported no explosives found so far.
- At least a dozen flights were affected on Thursday by a count of reports, not an official figure.
Flights were diverted, escorted by military aircraft or searched in at least six European countries on Thursday 5 November after bomb threats or suspicious reports, according to officials and airlines. The countries named in reports are France, Bulgaria, Italy, Austria, the Czech Republic and Belgium. Reuters reported that no explosives had so far been found in the incidents it covered, though bomb-disposal teams were still working on one diverted aircraft. No one has claimed responsibility.
This is the second large wave in three days, after threats against at least seven flights and a cruise ship on Tuesday 3 November. By a count of reports, not an official figure, at least a dozen flights were affected on Thursday. That count includes a Brussels flight that Belgian authorities called only a suspicious report. The situation is still developing. Days in this article follow Central European Time.
What officials and airlines say
France. An Aer Lingus Airbus A320 flying from Dublin to Rome diverted to the Évreux-Fauville air base in Normandy. The office of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said a bomb squad was in place and the 151 passengers and six crew had been moved to a safe place. NBC News reported that bomb-disposal teams were still working on the aircraft. Aer Lingus said the flight landed safely.
Italy and Austria. The Italian air force escorted a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome's Fiumicino airport. An airport authority spokesperson cited anonymous reports of a suspected bomb threat. Finnair said the flight landed as normal. It said a second Helsinki flight, operated by Jettime, also landed as normal in Vienna after a threat. A Wizz Air spokesman told Bloomberg that a Milan to Warsaw flight on Thursday diverted to Vienna after a threat was received during the flight.
Bulgaria. Reuters, citing government ministers, reported that aircraft from Copenhagen and Madrid landed in Sofia. Local media said a third, from London, landed in Plovdiv. VRT and LBC identified the three as Ryanair flights.
Czech Republic. Czech police said on X that four aircraft heading to Prague had received bomb threats. They rated the credibility as low but said they were not underestimating it. All four would undergo pyrotechnic inspections after landing. Reports did not give the outcome.
Belgium. A LOT flight from Warsaw landed safely at Brussels. The airport called it a suspicious report. Federal police found no extra measures were needed.
Observers are reading: the flight-tracking details Reuters reported on the Aer Lingus diversion, the Monday and Tuesday sequence, and the expert comment Reuters carried.
Become an Observer, it's free. Get full access to all Crisis.Zone analysis, briefings and breaking coverage.
What is not known
Who sent the threats is not known. Nor is how they were sent, whether the two waves are coordinated, or whether they connect to other incidents this week. Crisis.Zone has also reported on supermarket refrigeration hacks and hijacked warning apps this week. No source confirms a link, though some experts see a similar pattern.
The visible response has been large and fast. Fighter jets were scrambled in Hungary, Italy and France, and bomb squads and airport crews were deployed across several countries. A threat message costs little to send, whatever its origin. Each one has required air forces, airports and airlines to act. The source of the threats remains unidentified.
The situation is still developing. Crisis.Zone will update this report when verified information emerges.
Updates
5 November 2026, 14:30 CET
A fresh wave of bomb threats disrupted at least 15 to 17 commercial flights across Europe on Thursday, following similar incidents earlier this week. No explosives were found on the affected aircraft, and authorities have not identified the source of the threats or any person responsible, ABC News and CBS News reported. An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a French military airbase, while a Finnair flight from Helsinki was escorted to Rome by Italian fighter jets. Other affected flights involved airlines including Ryanair, Wizz Air, LOT and SAS.
Become an Observer (it's free) to unlock direct links to all sources used in this article.
We believe you deserve to verify everything we write. That's why we meticulously document every source.
