The Smart Marty Sky Dispatch
Three aircraft make emergency landings in Bulgaria following bomb threats
Bomb threats sent by email were received concerning three Ryanair flights from European cities to Bulgaria. In response to the reports of a potential threat, three MiG-29 fighter jets on combat air pa…
Three Ryanair flights en route to Bulgaria from European cities were struck by bomb-threat emails, prompting Bulgarian authorities to initiate emergency security protocols and activate their air-defense measures, according to БНР Новини. The material notes that the threats triggered an emergency protocol and that crews and authorities assessed the situation before any further actions were taken.
In response to the threat, Bulgarian military air defense were deployed, with three MiG-29 fighter jets dispatched to operate as escorts and to monitor the affected flights in Bulgarian airspace, as part of the intervention described by БНР Новини. The purpose of these escort operations was stated as ensuring passenger safety and aviation security while the threat was being evaluated.
The emergency response involved escorting the inbound flights and monitoring their paths within Bulgarian airspace, with safety procedures undertaken to protect passengers and crew. The material does not provide flight numbers or the precise points at which the aircraft were intercepted or redirected within Bulgarian skies, but it confirms that the three escorting MiG-29s were part of the security measures.
Additional reporting from Ynetnews expands the broader European context, noting a wave of bomb-threat emails across Europe that led to at least 12 threats and several unscheduled landings or diversions. Ynetnews reports that three passenger aircraft were forced to land in Bulgaria: two arriving from Copenhagen and Madrid were diverted to Sofia, and a third aircraft from London diverted to Plovdiv. The article does not specify airline names for the Sofia landings in Bulgaria.
AirLive provides parallel detail, describing three planes grounded in Bulgaria as part of the threats: two flights to Sofia, one from Copenhagen and one from Madrid, and a third from London that was diverted to Plovdiv. AirLive emphasizes that no explosive devices were found and that no injuries were reported among passengers or crew across the impacted flights. The Bulgarian diversion pattern is presented as part of a wider coordinated series of threats across Europe.
Your Local Guardian references a broader two-day wave of threats across Europe, highlighting Poland, Spain, and Bulgaria among the affected locations. It notes a LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 737 MAX diverted to Modlin in Poland, with passengers evacuated for inspection, and mentions a Ryanair-related diversion in Spain to Murcia/Calvo-Sierra area (Murcia-Cetvrera) where security checks were performed. The Bulgarian incidents are described as part of the cross-border pattern, though specific flight numbers and airline details are not consistently disclosed in the material.
AeroTime compiles the Europe-wide incident picture as of November 5, 2026, stating that at least 16 passenger flights were targeted by bomb threats, with fighter escorts in France, Italy, and Bulgaria, and multiple diversions and security inspections. Aer Lingus, Finnair, Ryanair, Wizz Air, and LOT Polish Airlines are named among affected operators. Rome, Prague, and Brussels airports conducted searches with no explosives found by late morning, while checks continued elsewhere. The report notes that the threats occurred two days after a similar set of alerts on November 3, with no identified perpetrators or confirmed connections among the incidents.
In the Bulgaria-specific thread, the sources collectively indicate that two incoming flights to Sofia from Copenhagen and Madrid were redirected for immediate emergency landings, while a third flight originating from London was diverted to Plovdiv, with all three aircraft landing safely and passengers subsequently evacuated to terminals for security inspections. The investigations into the origin of the threats were described as joint efforts by aviation security agencies and international law enforcement, with authorities confirming that, to date, the alerts have been hoaxes, though formal outcomes were not detailed in the supplied material.