Update: Third wave of bomb hoaxes hits European flights, and Ireland says it looks like a coordinated campaign

European airlines were hit by a third round of bomb threats this week on Friday, and this time the threats also reached newsrooms. The BBC reports that flights to and from Lisbon, Rome, Prague and Sofia were targeted, and that three planes were escorted by Hungarian fighter jets. No explosives have been found on any aircraft, the BBC says, and the Associated Press reports that no suspicious items were found and no one was hurt.

This updates our report on Thursday's wave of at least 25 flights and Tuesday's first wave.

What is new on Friday

• France. The prime minister's office said four new threats were made against aircraft flying over French territory. The planes landed safely and bomb disposal experts inspected them, according to the AP.
• Czech Republic. Prague airport spokesperson Denisa Hejtmánková told the AP that nine flights were threatened, arriving from Denmark, Spain and Britain and departing for the Netherlands, Cyprus, Romania, Italy and Britain. Police said the impact on normal operations was minimal. The BBC, citing AFP, counts at least 11 flights targeted across the Czech Republic and Bulgaria.
• Italy and Portugal. A Wizz Air flight from Prague to Rome was diverted to Venice, where passengers were evacuated and checks so far came back negative, Venice police said. A Ryanair flight from Lisbon to Rome was inspected by Portuguese police and passengers got extra screening before boarding.
• Denmark and Romania. Copenhagen police went to the airport for a second day and assessed that there was no danger to passengers. A Tarom flight from Prague to Bucharest received a threat and landed normally; the airport said it proved false.
• Hungary. The BBC says Hungarian fighter jets escorted three planes.

Newsrooms were targeted too

The Dublin headquarters of Irish broadcaster RTÉ was evacuated after a bomb threat, and live programming was replaced with pre-recorded shows, the AP reports. The BBC adds that staff at the Irish Independent and at the Dublin offices of Newstalk and TodayFM were told to leave, and that Sky said it also received a security threat. Irish police said they were aware of a threat against media organisations in Ireland and elsewhere in Europe.

The Irish government said in a statement, quoted by The Guardian's live blog, that it is not known who is responsible or whether it is individuals or a coordinated effort, but "it seems likely that this is a coordinated campaign of disruption." The BBC notes there is no established link between the airline and media threats.

Who is behind it: still unknown

The AP says authorities have not attributed the threats to any group or state, and no evidence links them to a government. An email sent Thursday to Rome airport authorities and reviewed by the AP described a group calling itself anti-feminist. The BBC reports that a Russian extremist group named in the Rome email, which it calls the "Male State," denied any link to the BBC's Russian Service. The BBC saw the original email and says its address appears linked to a state health service in Bogotá, Colombia. That is a detail about the sender account, not proof of where the sender is.

Italy's La Stampa has blamed that group, according to the BBC, and Italy's defence minister Guido Crosetto spoke of a "strategy to increase chaos," tying the hoaxes to recent cyberattacks and drone incursions. Those are opinions from officials and a newspaper, not findings.

What it means for travelers and airlines

Every hoax still forces a response: a diversion or escort, a search, a delayed next leg. Prague's list shows how widely one morning can spread, with nine flights on routes to ten cities. The AP quotes the European Cockpit Association saying crews review diversion airports and may carry extra fuel, which is a cost even when the threat is false.

• If you fly through Prague, Rome, Lisbon, Sofia or Venice this weekend, check your airline's app before leaving for the airport and allow a longer connection.
• Ask your airline in writing for care costs after a diversion, and keep receipts. Whether compensation applies when security is the cause is up to each airline, so do not assume it.
• Ireland hosts European Political Community and EU leaders' meetings in Dublin next week, with what Prime Minister Micheál Martin called a "very significant security operation" (AP). Expect extra checks around those dates.

We will update this story if officials identify who is responsible. More in the travel section.

Sources: BBC News and BBC News, November 6, 2026; Associated Press via ABC7 New York, November 6, 2026; The Guardian, November 6, 2026. Counts are minimums as reported and may change. This is news information, not investment advice.