Hoax bomb threats hit seven flights in Europe, including from Heathrow and Manchester, on 3 November 2026

By FlightClaimHQ Newsroom
Published 4 November 2026, 07:36 (UK time) · Updated 6 November 2026, 06:25 (UK time)

Seven passenger planes across Europe were searched or diverted after a series of bomb threats on Tuesday 3 November 2026, the BBC and The Guardian reported. Two had departed from UK airports, Heathrow and Manchester. All landed safely and no explosives were found. The UK government called the incidents malicious hoax threats. Update, 6 November: a second wave of threats hit other flights on 5 November, including a Ryanair flight from London diverted to Plovdiv in Bulgaria.

Update, 6 November: second wave of threats on 5 November

A second wave of bomb threats targeted several European flights on Thursday 5 November 2026, Al Jazeera, Euronews and The National reported. For UK passengers, the main case is a Ryanair flight from London to Sofia that was diverted to Plovdiv, according to the Bulgarian transport ministry quoted by Euronews; the London airport was not named. Aer Lingus flight EI402 from Dublin to Rome was diverted under military escort to the Évreux air base in France and landed safely.

Other threats concerned flights to Sofia, Prague, Vienna, Brussels and Rome. The reported inspections found no explosives and nobody has claimed the threats. Totals vary between outlets. On a flight departing the UK, UK261 applies, but a bomb threat is usually an extraordinary circumstance: care, and a refund or re-routing after a cancellation, remain due.

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The flights involved

According to The Guardian, a LOT flight from Heathrow due at Warsaw Chopin was diverted to Warsaw Modlin, which was briefly closed after the plane landed. A Ryanair flight from Manchester landed in Murcia, where passengers were evacuated and the aircraft was searched; Spanish authorities found no explosives, the BBC said. Two Ryanair flights from Dublin and Lisbon were searched in Rome, and threats also concerned an SAS flight from Copenhagen to Warsaw and flights from Bergamo and Dublin to Sofia. Four of the seven flights were operated by Ryanair, the others by Wizz Air, LOT and SAS.

The day before, Monday 2 November, a Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Sofia made an emergency landing in Budapest after a bomb threat, the BBC reported. Nothing was found and the aircraft later continued.

What happens next

Authorities in several countries are working together to establish whether the threats were coordinated, the BBC said. The Guardian reported that a Department for Transport source described the threats as not credible and said passengers should not be concerned. No overall figure for delays has been published. If you are flying in the coming days, check your flight status with your airline before leaving for the airport.

Your rights after a bomb threat

A security threat such as a bomb threat is usually an extraordinary circumstance under UK261 and EU261, so fixed compensation is usually not due for the resulting delay or cancellation, although each case depends on the facts. Whatever the cause, the airline must offer a refund or re-routing if your flight is cancelled, and care during a long delay: meals, refreshments and, if you are stuck overnight, a hotel and transfers. Keep your receipts.

If your flight was also disrupted for another reason, FlightClaimHQ can check your case and handle the claim for you.

Your rights if your flight is affected

You may be entitled to fixed compensation per passenger if:

your flight arrived at its final destination 3 hours or more late;
your flight was cancelled and you were told less than 14 days before departure;

UK261 (flights departing from the UK, or arriving in the UK with a UK or EU airline): £220, £350 or £520 depending on flight distance.

EU261 (flights departing from the EU, or arriving in the EU with an EU airline): €250, €400 or €600 depending on flight distance.

You cannot claim if the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances outside the airline's control, such as severe weather or air traffic control strikes. The airline must prove it.

Whatever the cause, while you wait the airline must provide care: meals and refreshments, and a hotel room with transfers if you are stuck overnight. Keep receipts for reasonable expenses.

Frequently asked questions

Were explosives found on any of the planes?

No. According to the BBC and The Guardian, all seven planes landed safely and no explosives were found.

Can I get compensation if my flight was delayed by a bomb threat?

Usually not, because a security threat is generally an extraordinary circumstance. You are still entitled to care, and to a refund or re-routing if the flight is cancelled.