Bomb threats on two Warsaw-bound flights: Heathrow service diverted to Modlin

On Tuesday 3 November 2026, bomb threats were reported on two flights heading for Warsaw. The first alert concerned a flight from London Heathrow, the second a flight from Copenhagen. One aircraft landed at Chopin Airport and the other was diverted to Modlin airport.

The London flight

The flight was LOT's LO286, a Boeing 737 MAX 8 with 181 people on board. The alert was declared at 9.54am. The aircraft, due to land at Chopin Airport at about 10am, was diverted to Modlin, where it landed at 10.01am.

According to airport statements, Modlin was the designated alternate airport, and the aircraft was parked in a safe area where the services could work. Passengers began leaving the plane after 10.45am. A LOT spokesperson said the information about a potential threat came from airport services. At about 1pm the airline told the Polish Press Agency (PAP) that the search of the aircraft was complete and "nothing was found". Passengers went through border control and were to be taken to Chopin Airport by coach.

Modlin airport was closed until further notice. According to PAP, operations resumed at 11.50am, and the closure lasted about two hours.

The Copenhagen flight

The second alert concerned SAS flight SK751. Information about a possible explosive device emerged just after 9am. The aircraft landed at Chopin Airport at about 9.28am, passengers left the plane and security procedures began. According to Onet, there were about 60 people on board.

Border Guard bomb disposal specialists were due to search the aircraft and luggage. Initially it was unclear which aircraft the report concerned, said Piotr Rudzki, acting spokesperson for Polish Airports and Chopin Airport. SAS later confirmed that the threat related to SK751. The police are handling the case.

Disruption at the airports

One runway at Chopin Airport was closed during the operation. According to reports, it reopened after 11.30am. The other runway remained in use, so flights continued, although passengers had to expect delays.

Other flights were also affected. A flight from Edinburgh, scheduled to arrive at Modlin at 11.30am, first landed in Poznań and reached Modlin at 12.49pm. A flight from Modlin to Tenerife, planned for 11.45am, took off at 12.37pm. The SAS return flight to Copenhagen also did not run as planned.

No explosive devices were confirmed to have been found.

What this means for you

People who fly between the UK and Poland should check airline and airport announcements before travelling, as incidents like this can cause delays and changes of destination airport. The sources do not say that any flights other than those named were affected on Tuesday.