Four passenger flights across Europe faced suspected bomb threats on Tuesday, November 3, prompting emergency landings, temporary airport disruptions and investigations by police and counter-terrorism teams in Poland, Spain and Bulgaria.
All four aircraft landed safely, and no injuries were reported in the incidents described. Authorities and security teams subsequently carried out checks to establish whether the threats were credible.
Poland was among the countries most affected, with two separate flights targeted. A LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 737 MAX travelling from London Heathrow to Warsaw Chopin Airport was diverted to Warsaw-Modlin Airport after a bomb threat was received at 9:54 a.m. local time.
The aircraft landed at 10:01 a.m. with 181 passengers on board. Among them was a group of Jewish students aged 16 and 17 who were travelling from London on a school trip.
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All passengers were evacuated after landing, and the aircraft was moved to an isolated area for security inspections. Warsaw-Modlin Airport temporarily suspended operations while the incident was being handled, before later resuming normal activity.
A second threat affected a Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight travelling from Copenhagen to Warsaw. Unlike the LOT flight, the aircraft landed normally at Warsaw Chopin Airport. The airline confirmed the incident, while police took responsibility for the investigation. Airport operations continued.
Spain also dealt with a suspected bomb threat involving a Ryanair flight from Manchester. The aircraft was diverted and made an emergency landing at Murcia Airport.
Francisco Lucas, the Spanish government’s regional delegate for Murcia, said 121 people, including passengers and crew, were on board. The aircraft landed safely following the reported threat.
In Bulgaria, authorities responded to a separate threat involving a flight arriving from Israel. The aircraft landed at Sofia Airport after a bomb threat was reportedly sent by email. Counter-terrorism teams were deployed to search the plane for possible explosive devices.
According to Sofia Airport’s published flight information, an El Al service from Tel Aviv was the only flight scheduled to arrive from Israel that morning. Bulgarian state broadcaster BNT reported that the threat was part of a wider alert targeting various institutions.
The incidents came a day after another suspected bomb threat forced a Wizz Air flight travelling from London to Sofia to divert to Budapest. The separate incident added to security concerns surrounding passenger aviation routes across Europe.
Although all four aircraft involved in Tuesday’s incidents landed safely, the threats led to temporary operational interruptions and security responses at several airports. Investigations are expected to establish the origins and credibility of the reports.
