Bomb Threats on European Flights: Which Planes Were Diverted, Were They Hoaxes and What Passengers Can Claim

At least a dozen passenger flights across Europe were hit by bomb threats on Thursday, November 5, 2026, the second wave in three days. An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a French military air base, three Ryanair jets were handled at Bulgarian airports, and Czech police said four Prague-bound planes were targeted. So far, every plane has landed safely, and no explosives were found on any of the planes searched after Tuesday’s wave. UK officials called those earlier threats “malicious hoaxes.” Below is what happened, which flights were affected, and what you can claim from your airline if your trip was disrupted.

What Happened on Thursday, November 5

The day started with Aer Lingus flight EI402 from Dublin to Rome. It diverted to the air base at Évreux in Normandy, and the French prime minister’s office said a bomb squad was in place to inspect the plane when it landed. All 151 passengers and six crew were moved to a safe place, the Guardian reported. Aer Lingus told the BBC the flight “diverted to Normandy this morning as a security precaution” and that it would “work to re-accommodate customers to their final destination as soon as possible.”

Threats against other flights followed within about an hour. Here are the flights named in reports from the Guardian, BBC and Italy’s ANSA news agency:

• Aer Lingus EI402, Dublin to Rome: diverted to Évreux, France.
• Ryanair FR6410, Madrid to Sofia, and Ryanair FR3606, Copenhagen to Sofia: both landed in Sofia, according to Bulgarian broadcaster BNT.
• Ryanair FR1730, London Stansted to Sofia: diverted to Plovdiv, Bulgaria.
• LOT LO235, Warsaw to Brussels: landed at Brussels Airport. LOT said an onboard check and a second inspection by authorities found “no suspicious items.”
• Wizz Air W4 6387, Milan Malpensa to Warsaw: rerouted to Vienna. ANSA said Wizz Air cited a bomb threat, while the BBC said the reason for the diversion was still unclear.
• Finnair AY1761, Helsinki to Rome: escorted by Italian Air Force jets and landed as scheduled.
• Finnair AY1471, Helsinki to Vienna: a second Finnair threat; the plane landed safely in Vienna.

Later in the morning, Czech police said they had received reports of “an improvised explosive device” aboard four planes heading to Prague. Police said they rated the threats’ credibility as low but would run pyrotechnic inspections on all four aircraft after landing.

This Is the Second Wave This Week

On Tuesday, November 3, seven planes were searched or diverted after a similar run of threats, the Guardian reported. A Ryanair flight from Manchester landed in Murcia, Spain, under an emergency protocol. A LOT flight from London Heathrow was diverted from Warsaw Chopin to Warsaw Modlin, which closed briefly. Two Ryanair flights from Dublin and Lisbon were searched after landing in Rome. All of the planes landed safely, and no explosives were found on any of them.

No one had claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s threats, and officials hadn’t blamed anyone, Al Jazeera reported. The UK government called them “malicious hoax threats.” The Guardian noted that four of the eight incidents earlier in the week involved flights to or from Italy, which has also seen false bomb alarms at about 280 schools. Whether the waves are coordinated is still an open question.

Is It Safe to Fly in Europe Right Now?

Authorities are treating every threat seriously, which is why planes are being diverted, escorted and searched. But so far, every search has come up empty. A UK Department for Transport source told the Guardian that Tuesday’s threats were “not credible” and that passengers should not be concerned, and Czech police rated Thursday’s Prague threats as low credibility. The biggest risk to most travelers right now is a delay or a diversion, not danger on board. If you travel with friends or family, it helps to agree on a backup plan before you go. Our tips on keeping group travel running smoothly cover the basics.

What to Do If Your Flight Is Diverted or Delayed

• Follow crew and police instructions. On Tuesday’s Manchester-Murcia flight, one passenger told the BBC everyone was evacuated and had to leave their belongings on board. Expect that, and keep your phone, passport and medication on you.
• Watch your airline’s app and texts for rebooking offers. Seats on replacement flights go fast.
• Keep every receipt for meals, transport and hotels. You’ll need them for reimbursement.
• Ask for help in writing. Under EU rules, the airline must give you a written notice of your rights after a long delay or cancellation.
• Use your loyalty status. Frequent-flyer tiers can mean priority rebooking lines; here’s more on the hidden benefits of travel loyalty programs.

Can You Get Compensation for a Bomb-Threat Diversion?

Cash compensation: probably not

EU Regulation 261/2004 normally pays €250 to €600 when a flight is cancelled or arrives three or more hours late. But the airline doesn’t owe that payment when the disruption was caused by “extraordinary circumstances,” and the EU’s Your Europe passenger rights guide lists security risks as one example. A bomb threat against your plane is very likely to fall into that category, so don’t count on a cash payout. The UK kept its own near-identical version of these rules after Brexit.

Care, rerouting and refunds: yes

Extraordinary circumstances don’t cancel the airline’s other duties. According to the EU guide:

• Meals and refreshments are owed while you wait, depending on the length of the delay and the distance of the flight, plus two phone calls or emails.
• A hotel and transport to it are owed if you can’t continue until the next day.
• If your flight lands somewhere other than your destination, that generally counts as a cancellation, so you can choose a refund, rerouting at the earliest opportunity, or rebooking for a later date. It counts as a delay instead if you accept rerouting to your destination, or if the airport you land at serves the same city or region.
• Transport between airports: if you accept a flight to a different airport than the one you booked, the airline should cover the cost of getting you to the original airport or an agreed destination.
• Out-of-pocket costs: if the airline didn’t provide care and you paid yourself, it should reimburse you, as long as the costs were “necessary, reasonable and appropriate.”

If you take a refund and book your own onward travel or a hotel, comparison sites can help. Here’s our look at how Booking.com works for booking holiday stays.

How to claim

Send your claim to the airline that operated the flight first, using its complaint form, and attach your receipts. If you don’t get a reply within two months, or you aren’t happy with the answer, you can complain to the national enforcement authority in the country where the incident happened. Your local European Consumer Centre can also give free advice. If you have travel insurance, check whether your policy covers extra costs from delays or missed connections.

FAQ

Which flights had bomb threats on November 5, 2026?

Reported flights included Aer Lingus EI402 (Dublin to Rome), Ryanair FR6410, FR3606 and FR1730 to Sofia, LOT LO235 (Warsaw to Brussels), Wizz Air W4 6387 (Milan to Warsaw), Finnair AY1761 (Helsinki to Rome) and AY1471 (Helsinki to Vienna), plus four flights heading to Prague.

Were any bombs found?

No. No explosives were found on any of the planes searched after Tuesday’s threats, and LOT said no suspicious items were found on its Brussels flight on Thursday. The UK government called the earlier threats malicious hoaxes.

Who is behind the threats?

That hasn’t been established. No one claimed responsibility for Tuesday’s threats, and authorities hadn’t attributed blame as of Thursday.

Do I get EU261 compensation if my flight was diverted because of a bomb threat?

Usually not. Security risks count as extraordinary circumstances. But the airline still has to provide meals, a hotel if needed, and a refund or rerouting.

Should I cancel my trip to Europe?

Officials have called the threats not credible or low credibility, and every affected plane has landed safely. The main thing to plan for is possible delays, so leave buffer time for tight connections.

Featured image: Aer Lingus Airbus A320 at Dublin Airport by Jean Housen, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. This story is developing, and we’ll update it as authorities share more.

Share on Facebook

Tweet

Follow us

Save