Wave of bomb threats disrupts European aviation in single day

• LOT flight (London to Warsaw): Carrying 181 people, diverted to Warsaw-Modlin Airport after an in-flight bomb alert
• SAS flight (Copenhagen to Warsaw): Landed at Warsaw Chopin Airport and was immediately isolated for security sweeps
• Ryanair flight (Manchester to Murcia): Carrying 121 people, made an emergency landing in southern Spain following a threat
• Bulgaria flight ('Israel' to Sofia): Landed under emergency protocols in Sofia after receiving an emailed bomb threat

Emergency services and counter-terrorism squads mobilized across multiple European airfields on Tuesday after suspected bomb threats targeted four separate commercial flights within hours, forcing diversions, runway closures, and extensive tarmac inspections in Poland, Spain, and Bulgaria.

The security alerts began in Poland when two flights bound for the capital were threatened almost simultaneously.  A LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 737 MAX flying from London Heathrow to Warsaw Chopin Airport with 181 people on board received a bomb warning mid-transit, forcing the pilots to divert to Warsaw-Modlin Airport.

The aircraft was directed to an isolated stand where bomb disposal experts screened passengers, baggage, and cargo, while airport authorities temporarily halted all flight operations.

Around the same time, an SAS flight traveling from Copenhagen to Warsaw touched down normally at Chopin Airport but was immediately isolated on an apron so security teams could carry out full checks.

In southern Spain, a Ryanair flight originating from Manchester made an unscheduled emergency landing at Región de Murcia International Airport following a similar alert. Francisco Lucas, the Spanish government’s delegate in Murcia, confirmed that 121 passengers and crew members were evacuated safely as emergency teams and law enforcement units initiated standard sweeping protocols.

Meanwhile in Bulgaria, an El Al flight arriving from 'Israel' touched down under emergency procedures at Sofia Airport after Bulgarian authorities received an alert by email.

Lyubomir Nikolov, Chief Secretary of Bulgaria’s Ministry of Interior, said that tactical counter-terrorism teams immediately screened the aircraft and cargo compartments for explosives, noting that the incident followed a series of similar electronic warnings sent to Bulgarian state institutions.

The string of disruptions across three European countries comes just one day after a Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Sofia was redirected to Budapest under a bomb alert while being escorted by a Hungarian fighter jet.

While all four targeted aircraft landed without physical incident and no injuries were reported, civil aviation and interior officials noted that repeated false alerts place significant operational strain on emergency personnel and air traffic management across the continent.