Bomb threats targeting seven passenger aircraft, including four Ryanair services, across Europe on Tuesday (November 3) caused widespread travel disruption, forcing one plane to divert and another to be escorted by military jets. Two of the flights involved departed from the UK, leaving passengers facing significant delays and heightened security checks before authorities confirmed that every threat proved to be false.
Ryanair Flight from Manchester to Murcia
A Ryanair flight arriving in Murcia from Manchester was met by emergency services on Tuesday after a bomb threat prompted a large-scale security response at the airport. Passengers and crew were escorted from the aircraft while specialist teams carried out thorough searches. Francisco Lucas, the Spanish government's representative in the Murcia region, confirmed the operation involved 114 passengers and seven crew members.
The Guardia Civil subsequently discovered no trace of explosives on board, Mr Lucas said, enabling the airport to resume normal operations. A passenger told the BBC that the aircraft stopped "quite suddenly" after landing and was then "surrounded by fire engines and police and a bomb squad". She said: "We were only later told that it was an actual threat, a bomb threat to the plane itself."
Ryanair Flights to Sofia and Rome
A Ryanair flight from Dublin, with 185 passengers on board, touched down in Sofia with no explosives discovered after a bomb threat was made against the aircraft. The flight, along with another destined for Sofia, was not diverted.
A Ryanair flight from Lisbon landed at Rome's Fiumicino Airport following an email claiming there was a bomb on board. Police bomb disposal experts conducted thorough security checks of passengers, crew and baggage, finding no explosives. An email was also dispatched to Rome Fiumicino Airport asserting there was a bomb on board an incoming Ryanair flight from Dublin. Italian fighter jets escorted the aircraft to the airport and identical ground security procedures were undertaken, with no explosives uncovered, an official confirmed.
LOT Flight from Heathrow to Warsaw
Flight LO286 from London Heathrow to Warsaw Chopin Airport was redirected to Warsaw Modlin Airport after an alert was issued regarding a possible bomb on board. The flight, carrying 181 passengers, touched down safely seven minutes later. Warsaw Modlin Airport was briefly shut as emergency services rushed to the aircraft and were able to dismiss the bomb threat at 12.21pm, the airport confirmed.
A spokesperson for LOT Polish Airlines said no suspicious items were discovered when the plane was subjected to a security inspection. "Following border control checks, passengers were transferred to Warsaw Chopin Airport by coach," they added.
SAS and Wizz Air Flights Also Affected
Security protocols were triggered at Warsaw Chopin Airport after officials received intelligence suggesting a potentially hazardous item could be aboard an arriving Scandinavian Airlines flight from Copenhagen. Flight SK751 left the Danish capital shortly after 8am local time before touching down in Warsaw approximately an hour later. Airport authorities responded by implementing precautionary safety measures and temporarily shutting one of the airport's runways.
Piotr Rudzki, acting director of Warsaw Airport's communications office, said established security protocols were immediately activated. Alexandra Lindgren Kaokju, a spokeswoman for SAS, confirmed the aircraft landed without any issues and was not forced to make an emergency landing. "The passengers disembarked, the plane landed normally; it was not an emergency landing," she said. She further stated that the airline was concentrating on supporting passengers and crew, and that the matter had been handed over to the Polish police.
A Wizz Air service departing from Bergamo, Italy, landed in the Bulgarian capital, Sofia, after learning of a potential bomb threat via email, the Bulgarian interior ministry confirmed. The aircraft, which had 176 passengers on board, was subsequently found to be carrying no explosives.
