On Thursday, November 5, anonymous bomb threats targeted a minimum of 19 passenger flights operating throughout Europe. The alerts prompted immediate evacuations, security inspections and, in several cases, military fighter jets escorting the aircraft to ensure passenger safety.

Flight disruptions and military escorts

Airlines confirmed that the threats affected flights from a range of carriers, including Aer Lingus, Finnair, Ryanair, Wizz Air, Iberia, Air Europa, Air Serbia and Aegean Airlines. Notable incidents included:

• Aer Lingus Flight EI402 from Dublin to Rome diverted to Évreux military air base in France, where French fighter jets escorted the plane carrying 151 passengers and six crew members.
• Finnair Flight AY1761 from Helsinki to Rome was escorted by Italian fighter jets; a separate Helsinki‑to‑Vienna service also received an unfounded warning.
• Three Ryanair flights bound for Sofia—from Madrid, Copenhagen and London Stansted—were threatened. The London‑origin flight diverted to Plovdiv, while the others landed in Sofia.
• Wizz Air flights from Milan to Warsaw and Milan to Bucharest were rerouted to Vienna and Bucharest respectively for security checks.
• Madrid‑Barajas Airport saw threats to three flights, including services from Milan, Rome and a Madrid‑to‑Paris route.

In each case, authorities conducted thorough inspections and reported no explosives or suspicious items.

Investigations and possible sources

European transport officials noted that the source of the threats remains unidentified. Some warnings arrived via anonymous email, one of which referenced a group calling itself “The Male State” and appeared to use an address linked to Bogotá’s municipal government. Colombian officials are reviewing whether the email address was misused.

Czech counter‑terrorism and cybercrime investigators are handling the Prague‑area alerts, and the European Union has activated aviation‑security information sharing among the affected nations. As of Thursday afternoon, investigators had not linked the incidents to any foreign government or terrorist organization.

Impact on travelers

While the threats caused significant operational disruptions—including flight diversions, passenger evacuations and delays—no explosives were discovered in any of the completed security checks. Airlines arranged alternative transportation for affected passengers where necessary.

The spate of bomb threats underscores the importance of coordinated security measures across European airspace and highlights the ongoing challenges of responding to anonymous threats in real time.

Original reporting: The Dallas Express — read the source article.