On November 3rd, local time, countries such as Poland, Spain, Italy, and Bulgaria reported that some passenger flights received bomb threats, resulting in the diversion of some flights and temporary closures of airports. According to Reuters, at least seven flights in Europe received bomb threats on that day, causing a moment of chaos, but no explosive devices were found in the end.
At least two flights destined for Warsaw, the capital of Poland, two flights to Sofia, the capital of Bulgaria, two flights to Rome, the capital of Italy, and one flight to Murcia, Spain, have received threats. So far, no one has claimed responsibility for these incidents.
A Polish Airlines flight, flying from Heathrow Airport in London, UK to Szczecin International Airport in Warsaw, Poland, was diverted to Modlin Airport in Warsaw after receiving a bomb threat. No explosives were found on the plane. Another Nordavia Airlines flight, departing from Copenhagen, Denmark, also received a bomb threat and was scheduled to land at Szczecin International Airport, but no explosives were found there either.
The Bulgarian Ministry of Transport stated that both airliners flying from Bergamo, Italy, and Dublin, Ireland, to Sofia received bomb threats. Both aircraft landed safely, and after inspections by the relevant authorities, no explosive devices were found.
In Italy, two Ryanair flights, one from Dublin, Ireland, and the other from Lisbon, Portugal, were threatened with bombs. The Italian Air Force dispatched a fighter jet to provide escort for one of the flights. Both flights underwent security checks at Fiumicino Airport in Rome, and no explosives were found.
A passenger plane flying from Manchester, England to Múrcia, Spain also encountered a bomb threat. Francisco Lucas, the Spanish government representative in the Múrcia region, stated that the National Guard had ruled out the possibility of explosives on the plane after their inspection.
Although these bomb threats were ultimately proven to be a “false alarm,” they still caused some flights to change routes, the Warsaw Modlin Airport to be closed briefly, and parts of the Murcia Airport to be sealed off.
Osprey Flight Solutions manager, Richard Jones, says that seven bomb threats affecting flights within a day was extremely rare. He analyzed: "Lacking a clear target country, airline, or route indicates the intent may have been to disrupt air operations."
