New wave of bomb hoaxes hits dozens of flights across Europe

People walk at Fiumicino Airport, after a Finnair plane from Helsinki was safely escorted to its scheduled landing in Rome by Italian Air Force jets following bomb threats, in Fiumicino, near Rome, on Thursday. | REUTERS

REUTERS

Nov 6, 2026

ROME/WARSAW/EVREUX, FRANCE – Hoax bomb threats disrupted dozens of passenger flights across Europe on Thursday, forcing unplanned landings by some planes and prompting fighter jets to escort or intercept others, in a dramatic escalation after an initial wave earlier this week.

The highly unusual spate of bomb threats affected nearly 30 flights by the end of Thursday, after at least seven flights and a cruise ship also received hoax threats on Tuesday.

No government has said who was behind the threats, and no claim of responsibility has been verified. Security experts said it could be individuals acting on personal grievances or copycats, but also that it had the hallmarks of a more coordinated “hybrid attack.”

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