Bomb threats force emergency landings of four flights in Warsaw, Murcia and Sofia

A LOT flight lands at Modlin

A LOT flight from London Heathrow carrying 181 passengers was diverted to Warsaw Modlin airport after a bomb threat, and the carrier's spokesperson confirmed the aircraft was theirs. Kathimerini reported that the Boeing 737 MAX was heading for Chopin airport when the warning arrived at 08:54 GMT, and it touched down at Modlin seven minutes later. Specialists checked the aircraft and the passengers' luggage, while travellers waited in the arrivals hall for further decisions. Modlin sits about 36 kilometres from the capital and is used mainly by low-cost carriers, whereas Chopin lies within the city limits.

The airport said its air operations had been restored around midday on Tuesday, 3 November, even as the aircraft remained under inspection.

“We would like to inform you that air operations at Warsaw Modlin Airport have been restored.”

The same statement added that the aircraft was still being checked by the competent services and that passengers and crew would stay in the arrivals hall until further decisions were made.

Threats reach Murcia, Sofia and Budapest

A Ryanair flight from Manchester made an emergency landing in Murcia, in southern Spain, after another threat. Francisco Lucas, the Spanish government representative in the Murcia region, put the number on board at 121 including crew, whereas Diari ARA, as cited by Kathimerini, reported 114 passengers, so the count remains unsettled. In Sofia, an aircraft from Israel landed after a bomb threat sent by email, and counter-terrorism units searched it for explosive devices, according to the Bulgarian news agency BTA. Lyubomir Nikolov, secretary-general of the Interior Ministry, said those checks were under way, and local media later reported that the threat was a hoax. Earlier, a Wizz Air flight from London bound for Sofia changed course to Budapest on Monday, 2 November, escorted by a Hungarian fighter jet, after a bomb threat; Hungary's defence minister described the diversion in a Facebook post. NewsIT counted five threats against European flights between 2 and 3 November.

No link established so far

Polish authorities said the threat was not confirmed, and it remains unclear whether the incidents are linked. SAS said its aircraft, which had flown from Copenhagen, landed safely at Chopin and that its passengers disembarked. Kathimerini reported that nobody has claimed responsibility, but the cases add to European concern about hybrid threats against infrastructure, which have grown since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

In August, an unmanned aircraft carrying explosives was found near a Ukrainian plane at Leipzig/Halle airport in eastern Germany, prompting an investigation into a possible terrorist act. Germany blamed Russia for that attack, which Moscow has repeatedly denied, including any involvement in sabotage or hybrid warfare. Moscow has not commented on the incidents in Poland.