View from an Italian Air Force Eurofighter escorting a Dublin to Rome airliner after a bomb threat, 3 November 2026

Europe Bomb Threats: Fighters Escort Airliners in a Third Wave of Hoaxes

by Fortuna Leroy | Nov 5, 2026 | Mondo dell'aviazione, Aviazione militare, Notizia | 0 comments

For the third time in four days, Europe’s quick reaction alert fighters spent Thursday morning shepherding airliners that someone claimed were carrying bombs. On 5 November 2026, Italian Eurofighters escorted a Finnair jet into Rome, a French military aircraft led an Aer Lingus flight down to an air base in Normandy, and fighter jets walked three Ryanair flights through Bulgarian airspace.

Every threat checked so far has turned out to be fake. Britain’s Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander called them “malicious hoax threats”. But each one still triggered the full response, and that response is exactly what makes a hoax so cheap to send and so expensive to answer.

Informazioni rapide

Data: Thursday, 5 November 2026, following earlier waves on 2 and 3 November
Scala: More than a dozen flights confirmed targeted (AP); Reuters counted at least 25 by Thursday afternoon
Aer Lingus EI402: Dublin to Rome A320, diverted to the military air base at Évreux, Normandy, with a French military escort; 151 passengers and 6 crew safe
Finnair AY1761: Helsinki to Rome, escorted by two Italian Air Force Eurofighters, landed safely at Fiumicino
Bulgaria: Three Sofia-bound Ryanair flights escorted by fighter jets; one diverted to Plovdiv
Devices found: None, as of Thursday afternoon
Who is behind it: Unknown; the EU says it is too early to say whether the incidents are linked

An Aer Lingus A320 Lands at a French Air Base

The most dramatic diversion involved Aer Lingus flight EI402 from Dublin to Rome. According to French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s office, Italian authorities alerted Paris to a bomb threat against the Airbus A320 while it was over France, and a French warplane escorted it to the air base at Évreux in Normandy.

The jet landed safely with 151 passengers and six crew. Military bomb disposal teams examined the aircraft, and passengers were questioned and checked in groups of ten. Hours later the A320 was still on the tarmac while explosives experts and dogs went over it. French aviation security authorities have opened an investigation.

Eurofighters Over Rome, Again

At about the same time, the Italian Air Force scrambled two Eurofighter Typhoons on quick reaction alert to escort Finnair flight AY1761 from Helsinki into Rome Fiumicino, after an emailed threat. The jet landed at around 9:30 in the morning and police bomb disposal experts found nothing on board.

Finnair said two of its flights had faced “unfounded hoax bomb scares”. The second, a Helsinki to Vienna service operated by Jettime, landed normally at its destination.

It was not the first time this week for the Italians. On Tuesday, 3 November, two Eurofighters of the 4° Stormo launched from Grosseto Air Base to intercept and escort a civil flight from Dublin to Rome after a similar threat. The view through the fighter’s head-up display, released by the air force, shows the airliner sitting just ahead of the jet.

Sofia, Plovdiv, Prague, Vienna

In the east, three Ryanair flights bound for Sofia made emergency landings. Two, from Copenhagen and Madrid, landed at Sofia’s Vasil Levski Airport. The third, from London Stansted, diverted to Plovdiv. Bulgaria’s defence ministry said all three were escorted through its airspace by fighter jets.

The list kept growing through the morning. Czech police searched four aircraft that landed in Prague and found nothing. Aegean Airlines said two of its flights, Thessaloniki to Milan and Athens to Vienna, received hoax threats. A LOT flight from Warsaw to Brussels was inspected on arrival, a Wizz Air flight from Milan landed safely in Bucharest, and a flight to Warsaw put down in Vienna after Polish authorities received an email with a vague threat.

Rome Fiumicino airport seen from an Italian Air Force Eurofighter, 5 November 2026 — Rome Fiumicino, seen from one of the Italian Air Force Eurofighters that escorted Finnair AY1761 on 5 November 2026. Image: Aeronautica Militare

Third Wave in Four Days

Thursday’s threats followed two earlier rounds. On 2 November, a Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Sofia was diverted to Budapest with a Hungarian Air Force Gripen escort. On 3 November, flights operated by LOT, SAS, Wizz Air and Ryanair were hit by bomb alerts in several countries.

Several of the threats were reportedly sent as anonymous emails to airlines, airports or other organisations involved in operations. Nobody has claimed responsibility, and no explosive device has been found on any of the aircraft.

“It is too early to draw conclusions on whether the reported incidents are linked. National investigations remain ongoing.”

Apostolos Tzitzikostas — EU Transport Commissioner, speaking to reporters in Dublin on 5 November 2026, as reported by AP

Tzitzikostas said an EU-level information-sharing mechanism on aviation security had been activated, and that the EU did not yet know whether a cyberattack was involved.

Why a Hoax Still Gets a Fighter Escort

Aircrews and authorities cannot assume a threat is fake until it is proven fake. A credible warning means a diversion to the nearest suitable airfield, emergency services on the runway, a bomb disposal team, and, if the aircraft is still airborne, quick reaction alert fighters to identify it, watch it and keep it away from cities if anything changes on board.

That is a lot of fuel, people and disruption to set in motion with an email. The wave also lands amid a run of suspected drone incursions that disrupted airports, especially in northern Europe, and authorities have warned that hybrid threats abound. Whether this week’s emails come from one source, several copycats or a state campaign, the cost asymmetry is the same: almost nothing to send, a lot to answer.

Sources: AP, Reuters, The Aviationist, Aeronautica Militare, Finnair, Euronews

Domande frequenti

What happened with the bomb threats on European flights on 5 November 2026?

On 5 November 2026, more than a dozen flights across Europe received bomb threats, according to AP. Several aircraft diverted or were escorted by fighter jets, including Aer Lingus EI402 to Evreux in France and Finnair AY1761 into Rome. No explosive device was found on any of them.

Why was the Aer Lingus Dublin to Rome flight diverted to France?

Aer Lingus flight EI402, an Airbus A320 from Dublin to Rome, was diverted to the military air base at Evreux in Normandy after Italian authorities alerted France to a bomb threat. A French military aircraft escorted it. All 151 passengers and six crew were safe.

Which fighter jets escorted the flights?

Two Italian Air Force Eurofighter Typhoons escorted Finnair flight AY1761 into Rome Fiumicino on 5 November 2026. A French military aircraft escorted Aer Lingus EI402 to Evreux, and Bulgarian fighter jets escorted three Ryanair flights bound for Sofia. Earlier that week a Hungarian Gripen escorted a Wizz Air flight.

Were any bombs found on the planes?

No. As of the afternoon of 5 November 2026, inspections of the targeted aircraft had not found any explosive device or suspicious material. Britain’s Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander described the incidents as malicious hoax threats.

Who is behind the bomb threats against European flights?

Nobody has claimed responsibility and authorities have not named a suspect. EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas said it was too early to say whether the incidents were linked, and that the EU did not yet know whether a cyberattack was involved. National investigations are ongoing.

Why do fighter jets escort airliners after a bomb threat?

Quick reaction alert fighters are launched when an airliner may be in danger or may pose a danger. They identify the aircraft, stay with it, keep watch for any change on board and guide it to a suitable airfield. Authorities have to treat every credible threat as real until it is disproved.