Romanian intelligence: KLM aircraft search did not substantiate bomb threat

The Romanian Intelligence Service (SRI) said on 5 November 2026 that a search of an aircraft operated by Dutch airline KLM, travelling to Tel Aviv with a stopover in Bucharest, had not substantiated a bomb threat. Romanian news agencies AGERPRES and News.ro reported the threat, citing SRI. The service is the source of both the information about the threat and the search results. Flank had found no independent confirmation at the time of publication.

Pilots requested a search despite initial assessment

According to SRI, quoted by AGERPRES, the service's initial assessment was that the threat was a hoax. News.ro reported that the pilots had requested a search of the aircraft for explosive devices. Their decision took account of the destination and was made after discussions with the airline. The service said the security procedures also used for a Wizz Air flight from Milan had been applied.

In a subsequent statement, SRI said no explosive items had been found during the search of the KLM aircraft and the threat had not been substantiated. News.ro reported the same result, also citing the service. The two reports relay the contents of the official statement but do not constitute separate technical inspections.

Who was behind the threat and their motive remain unclear. The route to Tel Aviv is not in itself evidence of a political motive or of an action specifically targeting Israel.

Three threats against flights to Bulgaria led to MiG-29 scramble

The Bulgarian News Agency (BTA), relaying Reuters' reporting on the KLM incident, also cited two other threats that day against flights to Bucharest: a Wizz Air flight from Milan and an Air Serbia flight from Belgrade. A total of 27 passenger aircraft in Europe were subject to security threats, according to the alerts received during the day and reported by the agency.

BTA also reported three bomb threats against passenger flights bound for Bulgaria. MiG-29 fighters on standby were scrambled in response, while the passenger aircraft landed in Sofia and Plovdiv. The agency did not specify the fighters' precise tasks or whether they had escorted each of the affected flights.

For Bulgaria, the direct relevance is the involvement of military aviation in the response to threats against civilian flights. Scrambling fighters does not in itself prove that there was a bomb. Nor has a link been established between the separate threats in Bulgaria and Romania.