Dozens of flights have been caught up in a fresh wave of bomb threats across Europe, with fighter jets scrambled, aircraft diverted, and security alerts also reported at London’s Heathrow and Birmingham airports.
At least 27 passenger flights across Europe have been targeted by bomb threats on Thursday (November 5), in the latest wave of security alerts to hit the continent’s aviation industry.
The threats have affected services operated by Aer Lingus, Ryanair, easyJet, Finnair, Wizz Air, LOT Polish Airlines and several other carriers, with aircraft diverted, delayed or subjected to security inspections.
Fighter jets have also been scrambled in several countries to escort passenger aircraft to safety.
The latest incidents follow a series of similar threats on Tuesday (November 3), when at least seven flights and a cruise ship were targeted.
Although authorities have found no explosives linked to the reported aviation incidents, they are investigating who is responsible and whether the threats are connected.
Aer Lingus Flight Diverted to French Military Base
Among the most significant incidents was Aer Lingus flight EI402, which was travelling from Dublin to Rome Fiumicino on Thursday morning.
The Airbus A320, carrying 151 passengers and six crew members, was diverted to Évreux-Fauville military air base in northern France after it received a bomb threat.
French fighter jets were dispatched to intercept and escort the aircraft, which subsequently landed safely.
The French Prime Minister’s office confirmed that military bomb disposal specialists were deployed to inspect the aircraft.
All passengers and crew were safely evacuated while security checks were carried out.
Aer Lingus confirmed the diversion was a security precaution and said it was working to get affected customers to their final destination as quickly as possible.
Fighter Jets Escort Flights Across Europe
Elsewhere, Italian military aircraft escorted a Finnair service from Helsinki to Rome before it landed safely at its intended destination.
In Bulgaria, military fighter jets were scrambled to escort three passenger aircraft following separate bomb threats.
The incidents included Ryanair services operating from Copenhagen, Madrid and London to Sofia, with the London flight diverted to Plovdiv.
A Wizz Air flight travelling from Milan to Warsaw was also diverted to Vienna after receiving a security alert.
Meanwhile, Spanish authorities reported threats involving Air Europa flights from Madrid to Paris and several inbound Iberia services from Italy.
Other aircraft were stopped on the ground, with passengers disembarked while specialist teams carried out inspections.
Flights serving airports in Prague, Brussels, Bucharest and Milan were also affected by Thursday’s disruption.
Heathrow and Birmingham Airports Also Targeted
The wave of security alerts also reached the UK, with London’s Heathrow and Birmingham airports receiving bomb threats during the early hours of Thursday (5 November).
Both threats were deemed not credible, and operations continued normally at both airports.
Heathrow confirmed that a multi-agency assessment found no risk to passengers, airport employees or aircraft, while Birmingham activated its established security procedures in coordination with emergency services.
UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander described the incidents as malicious hoaxes, while the Metropolitan Police’s Aviation Policing Command continued monitoring developments.
Neither airport reported significant disruption to flight operations.
Who Is Behind the Bomb Threats?
Authorities have yet to establish who is responsible for the latest wave of threats or whether they form part of a coordinated campaign.
According to Reuters, an email sent to aviation organisations in Italy claimed that explosive devices had been placed on board aircraft arriving from Dublin and Helsinki.
However, the news agency could not independently verify the sender’s identity.
Security analysts have suggested several possible explanations, including a coordinated attempt to disrupt European aviation, politically motivated activity or copycat incidents.
There has also been speculation about whether the incidents could be linked to wider campaigns of disruption targeting European infrastructure.
Nevertheless, no government has publicly attributed responsibility for the aviation threats, and no confirmed evidence currently establishes a common perpetrator.
Investigations Continue
The latest security alerts have raised concerns about the potentially substantial disruption that repeated false threats can cause to airlines, airport operations and passengers.
Even when no explosive device is discovered, responding to a threat can require military aircraft, emergency services, specialist security personnel and the diversion of commercial flights.
The consequences extend far beyond the aircraft involved, affecting airline schedules, connecting passengers and crew availability.
As investigations continue across Europe, airlines and aviation authorities remain responsible for assessing incoming threats and implementing appropriate security measures.
For passengers and crew caught up in the latest incidents, the priority remains ensuring that every aircraft and everyone onboard reaches safety.
This is a developing story. Details and the number of affected flights may change as further information becomes available.
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