Bomb threats disrupted at least 27 flights across Europe on Thursday, marking the second wave of coordinated security alerts to rattle the continent’s aviation sector this week. The incidents, which targeted carriers including Aer Lingus, Finnair, Wizz Air, and LOT Polish Airlines, forced emergency diversions, security inspections, and, in some instances, fighter jet escorts, according to reports from CNBC and The Guardian.
Coordinated Disruptions Across European Airspace
The travel chaos reached from London and Dublin to Helsinki and Warsaw. Airlines confirmed that while many of the threats were identified as malicious hoaxes, the sheer scale of the disruption has prompted significant concern. Threats are almost always unfounded,
the carrier stated.
An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a military airfield in northern France, while a Wizz Air flight from Milan to Bucharest was forced to land under security protocols at Otopeni Airport. Bloomberg reported that several flights were intercepted by fighter jets during their descent, a move that highlights the heightened state of alert among European defense forces. On November 5, 2026, aircraft were observed sitting on the tarmac at Leonardo da Vinci International Airport near Rome following the diversion of the Dublin-to-Rome flight.
These disruptions follow a series of similar threats on Tuesday, when seven passenger planes, including two departing from the U.K., were targeted. The U.K. government has characterized these incidents as malicious hoaxes, and U.S. Transport Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed to CNBC that American and European officials are tracking the situation together, treating the threats as “false attacks” while maintaining rigorous safety standards in the airspace. We take safety very seriously, which is why, if you see any issue in the airspace or threats in the airspace, we shut it down…and so, with all of our assets in the U.S. government and our partners over in Europe, we are tracking this together,
Duffy said.
The Growing Threat of Hybrid Warfare
While no state has claimed responsibility for the wave of alerts, the timing has intensified fears regarding hybrid warfare. European officials have increasingly accused Russia of masterminding acts of sabotage—ranging from attacks on energy and internet infrastructure to disruptions in the aviation sector—as a means of destabilizing countries that support Ukraine, according to The Times of Israel.
Eric Schouten, head of the aviation security group Dyami, noted that the geopolitical context cannot be ignored. In his view, the scenario aligns with hybrid warfare tactics where a country attacks on multiple fronts—from supermarkets and blood banks to the aviation industry—to maintain deniability while sowing chaos. The German government, for instance, previously blamed Russia for an attack on Leipzig airport in August, as reported by The Times of Israel.
Radical Group Claims Responsibility
Amidst the broader speculation, LBC reported that a radical right-wing Russian group known as “Male State”—now rebranded as “Male Legion”—has allegedly claimed responsibility for at least two of the threats. Italian media outlets have circulated an email purportedly sent by the group to three Italian airports, threatening to “turn the skies red” in opposition to what they termed a “feminist regime.”
Despite the claim, authorities continue to treat the threats as hoaxes, and the vast majority of the grounded flights were cleared after searches revealed no explosive devices on board.
As the aviation industry grapples with these challenges, Air France CEO Ben Smith noted that while none of his airline’s flights were affected, the coordinated nature of the threats is unprecedented. European security agencies remain on high alert, with the U.K.’s Aviation Policing Command keeping the situation under review to ensure that, despite the disruptions, the continent’s air travel remains secure for passengers. Readers seeking further information on these security concerns or editorial selections can contact LBC at 0207766454 or via email at [email protected].
Additional Resources
- The Times of Israel is currently offering a membership program that includes an ad-free experience and a physical book, such as When We See You Again by Rachel Goldberg-Polin or Out of the Sky: Heroism and Rebirth in Nazi Europe by Matti Friedman.
- Terms of service updates regarding data sharing and arbitration provisions are available for review on the Bloomberg website, with options to opt-out of personal information sharing provided in the site footer.
Earlier coverage: Bomb Scare Wave Hits European Flights with Multiple Fake Threats
