European Air Traffic Faces Fresh Round of Hoax Bomb Threats
Fresh alerts on Friday, November 6, 2026 affected at least 18 flights to or from Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czechia, France, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania and the UK, marking a continuation of disruptions that hit at least 27 affected flights across Europe from Ireland to Bulgaria. Eurocontrol said the affected flights were a tiny percentage — just 0.0674% — of the 26,709 flights scheduled in Europe on Friday, following separate threats earlier in the week, including at least seven flights and a cruise ship on Tuesday.
The incidents caused minimal disruption to aviation overall, but forced airlines and security services to launch precautionary procedures. In Hungary, defense minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi stated that fighter jets escorted three passenger planes through the country’s airspace within an hour after each received a bomb threat. The escorted aircraft included flights from Brussels to Sofia, and from Prague to Cyprus and Romania.
Fighter Jets Scrambled Across Multiple European Airspaces
French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s office said fighter jets were sent to intercept an Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome and escort it to an air force base at Évreux after the pilot did not cooperate with authorities as expected. French officials also said four bomb threats were made against aircraft flying over France.
At least nine of the affected flights on Friday were to or from Prague. Meanwhile, the threats had knock-on effects on air traffic across the continent.
Broadcasters Evacuated Following Security Alerts
The menace extended beyond aviation on Friday as national and private broadcasters received direct security threats. In Ireland, the Dublin offices of national broadcaster RTÉ were evacuated after a bomb threat, and RTÉ Radio 1 later resumed scheduled broadcasting.
Irish taoiseach Micheál Martin told RTÉ Radio 1 that the threats illustrate how relatively simple it can be to cause disruption and undermine the normal operation of society. In the United Kingdom, broadcaster Sky said it had also received a security threat, though Sky News remained on air. In Bulgaria, private broadcaster NOVA TV said it received an email Friday threatening it with a bomb and that the sender claimed to be behind the threats to European air traffic.
Unresolved Origins and Wider Hybrid Threat Context
Authorities across Europe have not attributed the coordinated wave of hoaxes to any specific state actor or group. An email concerning flight threats in Italy purported to originate from an anti-feminist group calling itself “The Male State.” The International Centre for Counter-Terrorism described the movement as a misogynist group created in Russia in 2016 that was later banned by a Russian court in 2021.
Eric Schouten, head of aviation security group Dyami, said the incidents fit the narrative of Russian state actors who want to disturb Europe, noting concurrent cyberattacks on supermarket refrigeration systems in several European countries, also affecting French blood banks.
Frequently Asked Questions About the European Transport Disruptions
How many flights were disrupted by the bomb threats?
The latest Friday alerts affected at least 18 flights, following separate threats earlier in the week that affected at least 27 flights from Ireland to Bulgaria, with more than two dozen flights affected earlier in the week and some diverted. Eurocontrol said Friday’s affected flights accounted for just 0.0674% of the 26,709 flights scheduled in Europe that day.
Which media organizations were targeted by the security alerts?
Ireland’s national broadcaster RTÉ evacuated its Dublin offices on Friday. UK-based broadcaster Sky and media organisations in Bulgaria also reported receiving threats.
Has any group claimed responsibility for the hoaxes?
Authorities have not officially attributed the threats to any group or government. An email concerning the flight threats referenced an anti-feminist group called “The Male State,” while European officials continue to investigate potential links to hybrid security threats.