Bomb threats reported on multiple flights, including two from UK airports

At least seven flights, including two from the UK, have been affected by bomb threats, which caused unplanned landings and temporary airport closures.

Two flights to Warsaw, two to Sofia, two to Rome and one to Murcia airport in Spain were subjected to the threats on Tuesday, and another ‌flight to Sofia had been threatened a day earlier.

Warsaw-Modlin Airport temporarily shut after a Tuesday morning flight from Heathrow, operated by Polish airline LOT, was diverted there. It had been due to land at Warsaw-Chopin Airport.

At 9.54am, a bomb threat alert was raised on the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, which was carrying 181 people.

The flight landed safely seven minutes later, Warsaw Modlin Airport, which has since reopened, said on its website, and the bomb threat was "cancelled" at 12.21pm.

No suspicious items was found following a security inspection, a spokesperson for LOT Polish Airlines said, adding that passengers were taken to Warsaw Chopin Airport by coach.

A bomb threat ⁠was also reported on a Scandinavian Airlines flight from Copenhagen to Warsaw, which landed at Warsaw-Chopin Airport, with the airport later confirming that no device was found.

In another incident, a Ryanair plane from Manchester made an emergency landing at Murcia Airport in southeastern Spain, due to a threat, with 114 passengers and seven crew members leaving the plane.

Francisco Lucas, the Spanish government's delegate in the region, said on X that the Civil Guard ruled out the presence of explosives on the plane after an inspection.

A UK government spokesperson said of the two planes that flew from Britain: "The UK has one of the most robust aviation security systems in the world, with well-tested processes for dealing with any potential threats, as well as malicious hoax threats, like those we've seen today.

"Our world-leading police and intelligence agencies work closely every day to keep us safe, using the tools they have to assess and respond to potential threats."

Bulgarian authorities found no signs of explosives on two aircraft at the Sofia International Airport that had both received bomb threats on Tuesday while en route, Bulgaria's Minister of Transportation Georgi Peev said on Tuesday, according to state news agency BTA.

The two planes, originating in Italy's Bergamo and Dublin, were inspected by officers of the Specialised Counter-Terrorism Unit after landing in Sofia.

The Bergamo flight was operated by Wizz Air and ⁠was carrying 176 ​passengers, while the ​Dublin flight was operated by ⁠Ryanair and had 185 ⁠passengers on board.

A Ryanair flight from Lisbon landed at Rome's Fiumicino airport on Tuesday morning after an emailed threat of a bomb on board was received, a Fiumicino official with knowledge of the events, said.

An inspection found no explosives on the plane.

There was also a bomb threat reported on another Ryanair flight to Rome from Dublin, with no explosives found, an official said.

It is not known who was behind the threats, but Matthew Borie of Osprey Flight Solutions, which advises airlines on flight threats, said the focus on Europe means "there could be a Russian angle".

"We need to keep in mind, though, that Iranian hybrid warfare is just as active in certain pockets of Europe as well."

Travellers shouldn't be alarmed, he said, pointing to "coordinated response mechanisms" by national authorities - including, at times, the deployment of NATO fighter jets to escort such planes.

The threats come a day after a Wizz Air flight from London to Sofia was diverted to Budapest ​airport after receiving a bomb threat.

(c) Sky News 2026: Bomb threats reported on multiple flights, including two from UK airports