Border / security incidentBulgaria
Military Aviation · Air Defence
Bomb threats against passenger flights in Europe
In early November 2026, a wave of bomb threats against passenger flights hit Europe and scrambled fighter jets in Hungary, Bulgaria, Croatia and Italy. This page gathers Flank's reports on the cases, with the updates to each of them.
- Started
- 2 November 2026
- Last update
Key developments
Between 2 and 5 November 2026, a wave of bomb threats hit passenger flights in Europe; on 5 November alone, threats targeted 27 aircraft, according to Reuters, as cited by BTA. Fighter jets escorted to landing a Wizz Air flight to Sofia diverted to Budapest, three Ryanair flights to Bulgaria and a Finnair flight to Rome. According to the airlines and the authorities, checks found no explosive devices. No country has named who is behind the threats, and it has not been established whether they are connected.
- On 5 November, threats were reported against 27 passenger aircraft in Europe, Reuters reported, as cited by BTA; no explosive devices were found.
- According to AFP, the threatening email to Sofia Airport was signed „Fighters of the Male State“, also the name of a Russian movement a Russian court declared extremist; it has not been established that the movement is behind the threat.
- On 5 November Bulgarian MiG-29s took off after three bomb threats against flights to Bulgaria; according to ArmyInform the flights were operated by Ryanair. The Interior Ministry said no explosives were found on the three aircraft.
- Finnair flight AY1761 from Helsinki to Rome was escorted by Italian fighter jets to Fiumicino; according to Finnair the threat was false. According to BTA and HINA, a Croatian Rafale also escorted it on the way.
- On 2 November a Hungarian Gripen escorted a Wizz Air London–Sofia flight to Budapest; according to the airline, cited by bTV, no explosive was found.
Incident map
6 incidents on the map
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Timeline
Serbian fighters reportedly escorted Sofia-bound flight after bomb threat
According to Serbia’s Ministry of Defence, fighter jets escorted a Wizz Air aircraft from Brussels to the Bulgarian border. It has not been established whether there was an explosive device on board or how the investigation into the threat concluded.
Expert: Bomb threats against aircraft are a hybrid attack; fares may rise by up to 30%
Todor Ivandzhikov, chair of the Bulgarian Aviation Industry Association, believes the threats are part of hybrid attacks on Europe but gave no evidence. BULATSA director Ivan Dyaksov said such cases have become more frequent over the past week.
Updates
French prosecutors investigate aircraft bomb threats and possible foreign links
French prosecutors have opened an investigation into false bomb threats targeting dozens of commercial flights in Europe over the past week, Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) reported on 7 November. According to the Paris prosecutor’s office, quoted by AFP in BNR’s report, investigators aim to identify the authors of the emails and establish any potential links to foreign powers. The statement does not identify those responsible or confirm foreign involvement.
Romanian intelligence: KLM aircraft search did not substantiate bomb threat
According to the Romanian service, no explosive items were found during the search in Bucharest. The incident came on a day of multiple threats against passenger aircraft in Europe, including three flights to Bulgaria.
Croatian Rafale escorts Finnair aircraft after bomb threat
According to the Croatian authorities, a fighter escorted the Helsinki–Rome flight to the border with Italy. Finnair confirmed to Finnish public broadcaster Yle that the threat was a hoax and that checks after landing found nothing unusual.
Italian fighter jets escorted Finnair flight to Rome after bomb threat
BTA and Finland’s Yle report that the flight received a military escort. Yle reports that local authorities searched the aircraft after it landed. According to Finnair communications manager Stina Tuunanen, who spoke to the broadcaster, the threat proved unfounded.
Bulgarian MiG-29s scrambled to escort three aircraft after bomb threats
According to the Bulgarian Air Force, fighters on quick reaction alert at Graf Ignatievo were scrambled following three reports of bomb threats against passenger aircraft. The military response does not prove that explosive devices were on board. The results of the searches are not known.
Updates
Reuters: threats against 27 aircraft in Europe in one day; the email to Sofia Airport was signed „Fighters of the Male State“
On 5 November alone, security threats were reported against 27 passenger aircraft in Europe, Reuters reported, as cited by BTA. Flights of several airlines in different countries were affected, among them Aer Lingus, Air Europa, Iberia Express, LOT and easyJet. No explosive devices have been found so far, and no country has named who is behind the threats.
According to AFP, as cited by BTA, the threatening email sent to Sofia Airport was signed „Fighters of the Male State“. The agency notes that this is also the name of a Russian far-right movement that a Russian court declared extremist in 2021. It has not been established whether the movement is actually behind the threat.
Hungarian Gripen escorts London–Sofia flight to Budapest after bomb threat
Hungary’s defence minister said a Wizz Air flight had been diverted and escorted by a fighter jet. The outcome of the police inspection and whether the journey to Sofia continued remain unclear.
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