At least seven flights bound for Poland, Italy, Bulgaria and Spain received bomb threats on November 3, prompting security checks and, in one case, a diversion to an airport near Warsaw. Authorities reported no injuries, and searches completed so far found no explosives.
Two Ryanair flights to Rome searched
Rome Fiumicino Airport said it received an anonymous bomb threat concerning a Ryanair flight shortly after the aircraft landed at about 9:40 a.m. The airport did not immediately identify the flight number or its point of departure. Bomb-disposal experts searched the aircraft and found no explosives.
About an hour later, another Ryanair flight was reported to have received a suspected bomb threat. Ryanair flight 9611, travelling from Dublin to Rome, was escorted by the Italian Air Force. Authorities inspected the aircraft after it landed and found no explosives.
SAS flight to Warsaw landed as scheduled
Scandinavian Airlines flight 751 left Copenhagen for Warsaw at about 8:30 a.m. and landed roughly an hour later as scheduled, without diverting. An airline spokesperson confirmed the flight had received a threat and said the matter had been referred to Warsaw police.
LOT flight diverted to Warsaw Modlin
About half an hour after SAS flight 751 arrived, LOT Polish Airlines flight 286, travelling from London Heathrow to Warsaw, diverted to Warsaw Modlin Airport. Modlin is about 25 miles from Warsaw Chopin Airport, the flight’s intended destination.
LOT said airport officials had alerted the crew to a possible security threat on board. The aircraft was directed to a designated stand and searched; no suspicious items were found. Passengers were then taken by bus to Chopin Airport. Modlin temporarily closed for about two hours and reopened after the threat was cleared.
Security procedures triggered on Manchester–Murcia flight
Ryanair flight 4116, travelling from Manchester, England, to Murcia, Spain, received a bomb threat in flight. Francisco Lucas, the Spanish government’s representative in the region, said security procedures were activated.
About an hour and a half later, Lucas said the Guardia Civil had ruled out the presence of explosives on board and that the airport had returned to normal operations. Ryanair had not responded to a request for comment at the time.
Email threats reported on two Sofia-bound flights
Bulgaria’s Transport Minister Georgi Peev said two aircraft bound for Sofia had received bomb threats. Bulgarian border police said the threats were sent by email. One flight was coming from Dublin and the other from Bergamo, Italy.
A Wizz Air spokesperson confirmed that flight 4352 from Milan Bergamo to Sofia had been threatened. Bulgarian authorities notified the airline as the aircraft neared its destination. The flight was cleared to proceed after the relevant authorities completed checks under established procedures. Wizz Air said it was cooperating with officials.
The incidents followed a separate threat the previous day involving another Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Sofia, which diverted to Budapest after receiving a bomb threat in flight. The checks reported so far in the latest series of incidents have found no explosives, and no injuries have been reported.