More than a dozen flights across Europe were targeted by bomb threats on Thursday, November 5, triggering diversions, fighter-jet escorts and security inspections. No explosives or suspicious items were reported in the checks described by authorities, but the threats disrupted air travel across several countries.
An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to the military air base at Évreux in western France. French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s office said all 151 passengers and six crew members landed safely and left the aircraft while military bomb-disposal teams examined it.
A Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome was escorted by Italian fighter jets and inspected after landing. Three Ryanair flights bound for Sofia also made emergency landings in Bulgaria: two arrived in the capital and one diverted to Plovdiv. The Associated Press reported that searches of the aircraft described in its coverage found no dangerous or suspicious items.
Threats reported across several countries
Four aircraft arriving in Prague were checked after threats, with Czech police reporting no explosives or suspicious devices. Other affected services included flights operated by LOT, Wizz Air and Finnair. Rome’s main airport temporarily halted flights for 30 minutes during one of the incidents.
The Thursday alerts followed at least seven similar threats reported against European flights earlier in the week. Taken together, the incidents affected at least 20 flights over several days, though the precise Thursday total varies across reports.
No individual or group has publicly claimed responsibility, and authorities have not confirmed that the threats were coordinated. An aviation security expert quoted by CBS News described the volume and apparent credibility of the alerts as unusual, but that assessment does not establish who sent them or whether they were linked.
Reid Bentley