Bomb threats targeted at least 19 passenger flights across Europe on Thursday, November 5, prompting military escorts, diversions, evacuations, and security inspections. Officials found no explosives in the checks completed so far, and investigators had not identified who sent the warnings or whether the incidents shared a source.
The alerts followed at least seven affected flights Tuesday and another threat earlier in the week. More than 20 hoaxes had surfaced throughout the week, AFP confirmed. The Guardian’s Thursday afternoon tally reached 19 after airlines confirmed additional threats involving planes in Madrid and Romania.
Fighter Jets Escort Passenger Planes
Aer Lingus Flight EI402, traveling from Dublin to Rome, diverted to Évreux military air base in France. French fighter jets escorted the plane, which carried 151 passengers and six crew members. Authorities evacuated the aircraft and conducted security checks, according to accounts citing French officials.
Italian fighter jets escorted Finnair Flight AY1761 from Helsinki to Rome, where authorities found no explosives. Finnair also confirmed an unfounded threat involving a separate Helsinki-to-Vienna service, according to Reuters and airline statements.
Three Ryanair flights bound for Sofia from Madrid, Copenhagen, and London Stansted received threats. The first two arrived in Sofia, while the London flight diverted to Plovdiv. Bulgarian authorities examined the aircraft and found no suspicious items; the airline arranged transportation for affected passengers, the Guardian documented.
A Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw diverted to Vienna. Another Wizz Air service from Milan reached Bucharest, where authorities carried out checks. In Prague, police inspected four aircraft following anonymous threats and reported finding nothing suspicious.
Madrid And Romania Report Additional Threats
Madrid-Barajas Airport reported threats affecting three flights. Iberia identified two services arriving from Milan and Rome, while Air Europa confirmed a warning involving a Madrid-to-Paris flight. Officials completed security checks and determined the threats were false alarms, the Guardian confirmed.
Air Serbia also confirmed a threat against Flight JU102 traveling from Belgrade to Bucharest. Romanian authorities investigated after landing and determined the warning was unfounded. Aegean Airlines and Ryanair flights heading to Milan also underwent scrutiny following alerts.
Investigators Have Not Identified A Sender
Some warnings arrived through anonymous emails. One message invoked a group calling itself The Male State and appeared to use an email address associated with Bogotá’s municipal government, CNN described. The apparent address did not establish who sent the warning. Bogotá officials examined whether someone had misused the account.
Czech counterterrorism and cybercrime investigators took up the Prague threats. European transport officials said the available evidence did not establish whether the wider series was connected. The European Union activated aviation-security information sharing among affected countries.
The repeated alerts disrupted flight operations and required emergency responses despite the absence of explosives in completed inspections. Investigators had not publicly established responsibility or linked the threats to a foreign government or terrorist organization as of Thursday afternoon in Europe, Reuters noted.
