False bomb threats affected three flights in Madrid and more than ten aircraft in Europe

On November 5, bomb threat reports came in for two Iberia flights and one Air Europa flight at Madrid-Barajas airport. All threats were not confirmed, and no passengers were harmed. The incident became part of a wave of bomb threat reports that, according to media reports, affected at least 13 European flights in a single day.

Aziz KarimovFirst published on tafs uz 5 November 2026 at 23:162 min read

The key facts

In Madrid, the threats concerned two Iberia flights from Rome and Milan and an Air Europa flight to Paris; all three reports turned out to be false
According to media reports, on November 5 similar threats affected at least 13 flights in Europe; in Bulgaria and Italy airliners were escorted by fighter jets
On November 3, a wave of threats affected seven European flights; no explosives were found on any of them

Three flights in Madrid received bomb threat messages

On November 5, false reports of planted explosive devices affected at least three passenger flights in Spain. The warnings were sent to Madrid-Barajas International Airport and concerned Iberia and Air Europa aircraft, reported the EFE news agency, citing Aena, the operator of Spanish airports. According to the agency, the threats concerned two Iberia flights arriving in Madrid from Rome and Milan, as well as an Air Europa plane that was due to fly from Madrid to Paris.

How events unfolded

Both Iberia airliners landed safely in Madrid at around 10:00 local time, and passengers disembarked without incident while security measures were observed. The Air Europa plane was still on the ground when the threat came in: passengers were taken off, specialists carried out checks, and after the information about an explosive device was not confirmed, preparations for the flight resumed. After the warnings were received, a special security committee involving law enforcement agencies was set up at the airport; checks showed that all three threats turned out to be false.

Part of a wave of threats across Europe

The incidents in Spain became part of a new wave of bomb threat reports targeting European aircraft. According to media reports, on November 5 similar threats affected at least 13 flights: in several countries airliners were diverted to other airfields, and in Bulgaria and Italy fighter jets were scrambled to escort them. Life.ru previously reportedthat an Aer Lingus airliner en route from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a military airbase in France, and bomb threat messages were sent regarding aircraft in Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Poland and other countries. Earlier, on November 3, similar threats affected seven European flights, but no explosives were found on any of them.