Bomb threats close Warsaw airport; similar alerts across Europe

A London-bound flight from Heathrow diverted to Warsaw-Modlin airport after a bomb threat alert on November 3, forcing the airport to close temporarily. The Boeing 737 MAX, operated by Polish airline LOT, carried 181 passengers and made an emergency landing at 10:01 a.m. after the threat was reported at 9:54 a.m. GMT. Bomb disposal experts inspected the aircraft and passengers were held in the arrival lounge while authorities verified the threat. The airport resumed operations around noon after the threat was withdrawn at 12:21 p.m.

A second bomb threat was reported on a Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight from Copenhagen to Warsaw, which landed at Warsaw-Chopin airport and was searched by security services. Warsaw-Chopin remained operational during the incident. The two airports serve the Polish capital: Chopin is within city limits, while Modlin, used primarily by budget carriers, is approximately 36 kilometers from Warsaw.

The incidents were part of a broader pattern of bomb threats affecting European aviation on the same day. A Ryanair flight from Manchester to Murcia, Spain, made a precautionary landing after a bomb threat; Spanish authorities found no explosives and operations resumed. In Bulgaria, an aircraft from Israel at Sofia airport was searched after a bomb threat sent by email; Bulgarian authorities reported no concrete evidence of a terrorist threat.

Polish and European security services investigated all threats without confirmed claims of responsibility. No explosives were found on any of the aircraft. The incidents reflect heightened security concerns across European infrastructure amid ongoing geopolitical tensions in the region since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has repeatedly denied involvement in sabotage or hybrid warfare operations and did not comment on these incidents.