Third wave of ‘hoax’ bomb threats targets 27 passenger flights across Europe

Posted Thu 5 Nov 2026 at 8:41pmThu 5 Nov 2026 at 8:41pm, updated Thu 5 Nov 2026 at 9:17pmThu 5 Nov 2026 at 9:17pm

Bomb threats have affected at least seven flights in Europe today, including three in Bulgaria, one in Italy and one flying over France.

An Airbus A320 plane flying from Dublin to Rome was diverted to an air base at Évreux, France, on Thursday, following a bomb threat.

Soon after, Bulgarian media cited officials saying three planes had made emergency landings in the country due to the threats.

Two of the aircraft — flying from Copenhagen and Madrid respectively — landed in Sofia, while a third from London landed in Plovdiv, the reports said.

Italian local media also reported two flights over Italy had been affected, including a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome and a Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw.

The Wizz Air flight was diverted to Vienna.

The Finnair flight was successfully escorted into the city by Italian Air Force units, and a Finnair spokesperson said it "nevertheless landed as normal". 

It has been checked by bomb squad units.

Finnair said its flight from Helsinki to Vienna, operated by Jettime, also received a threat but landed normally in Vienna.

Bomb squad on scene of diverted Dublin to Rome flight

According to flight-tracking website Flightradar24, an Aer Lingus aircraft turned near Paris and circled over the Évreux area after declaring an in-flight emergency on Thursday.

A reported 151 passengers and six crew were on board, French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu's office said.

It added the plane had landed safely at Évreux, the passengers and crew had been moved to a safe place, and a bomb squad was on site.

France's air force said it had dispatched planes "as soon as the threat was reported".

At least seven flights and a cruise ship in Europe received bomb threats on Tuesday, disrupting airports, although no devices were discovered.