More than a dozen flights in Europe receive bomb threats that an official calls 'malicious' hoaxes

PBS NewsHour · 2026-11-05 18:47 UTC

No hazardous or suspicious materials have been found in what a British official called “malicious" hoaxes.

MILAN (AP) — Bomb threats targeted more than a dozen flights in Europe on Thursday, leading to a slew of emergency landings and military escorts in some cases, authorities said. No hazardous or suspicious materials have been found in what a British official called "malicious" hoaxes.

Several similar threats targeted planes earlier this week, prompting searches and diversions. Europe has experienced a slew of other disruptions recently, such as attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems, drone incursions and mysterious triggers to alert apps.

While fake bomb threats are relatively common, it is unusual to see so many in a single day. They come at a time of increased geopolitical tensions and warnings from authorities that Russia may be ramping up so-called hybrid threats in Europe.

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