Wave of false bomb threats hits European flights, including routes to Poland

A series of bomb threats hit European airlines on Thursday 5 November 2026. According to Polish Radio, they disrupted at least 15 passenger flights, three of them linked to Poland. Aircraft landed as a precaution or were diverted, and security services searched them.

What happened

A LOT Polish Airlines flight from Warsaw to Brussels landed safely at Zaventem airport after a report about the aircraft. An Aer Lingus Airbus A320 from Dublin to Rome, carrying 151 passengers and six crew, was sent to the Évreux military air base in France, where French authorities inspected it.

A Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome landed at Fiumicino under escort by Italian fighter jets. A second Finnair flight, to Vienna, also received a warning but landed as scheduled. A Wizz Air flight from Milan to Bucharest, with 182 passengers and seven crew, landed safely, and passengers were evacuated for the inspection. Two other aircraft, operated by Aegean Airlines and Ryanair, landed at Milan Malpensa after warnings. Spanish authorities investigated reports about three flights at Madrid airport, all declared false alarms. Polish Radio also reports threats against four flights arriving in Prague, where nothing suspicious was found.

Earlier incidents

There were similar incidents earlier. On Tuesday 3 November 2026, threats targeted seven flights in Europe, including two bound for Warsaw: from Copenhagen and from London. All the warnings proved false. On Monday 2 November, a Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia was diverted to Budapest after a warning that was later ruled out.

Are the cases linked?

According to the BBC News description, no link has been established between the threats against airlines and those against media outlets. The sources we could reach do not say who is behind the reports.

What this means for you

Some of the reports concerned routes linking the UK with Poland and the rest of Europe, such as flights from London. People flying in the coming days should check their flight status with the airline and the airport website. If a flight is diverted or delayed, passengers may be entitled to rights under passenger-rights rules, but the scope depends on the circumstances, so it is worth asking the airline.