Wizz Air reports bomb threats against 14 flights and calls for Europe-wide coordination

Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air received hoax bomb threats against 14 flights in Europe in the previous week. According to Al-Monitor, Wizz Air received hoax bomb threats against 14 flights in Europe last week and diverted two aircraft as a result. The statement was reported by Reuters in an article published by Al-Monitor, a US publication covering the Middle East. Váradi called for a more coordinated European approach to aviation security and a body to coordinate the response.

Wizz Air's chief executive said the airline had received hoax bomb threats against 14 flights; the sender's identity, the origin of the emails and whether the threats came from a common source have not been established.

Váradi presses European Commission for joint action

Váradi said he had recently met the European Commission and pressed for coordinated action. In his view, national powers stand in the way of a common approach because countries are unwilling to cede authority on this issue. This is the Wizz Air chief's assessment, not an announced EU decision.

According to information from the airline reported by Reuters, the threats were emailed to airports and airlines. These were threatening messages, not an established breach of their IT systems. Wizz Air says two aircraft were diverted despite the threats being hoaxes.

Threats also affected flights to Sofia

On 2 November 2026, a Hungarian Gripen escorted a flight from London to Sofia towards Budapest following a bomb threat. On 6 November, email threats were recorded against two flights to Sofia from London Stansted and Brussels. Hungarian fighter jets escorted one of them.

These incidents directly affect air links with Bulgaria and show that responding to a threat against a civilian aircraft can also involve military aviation. It has not been established whether these incidents are among the 14 flights reported by Wizz Air. Reuters has not established the sender's identity, the origin of the emails or whether the threats came from a common source.

Reference to ‘hybrid warfare’ does not identify who is behind the threats

Váradi links the threats to ‘hybrid warfare’. Reuters, however, has not established the sender's identity, the origin of the emails or whether they share a common source. The number of flights affected and the similar method of sending the threats are not sufficient to conclude that they form a single campaign or are the work of a particular state.

This story is still developing. The information may be supplemented by investigation findings and a response from the European Commission.