Bomb Threat Diverts Warsaw-Bound Flight Carrying Jewish Students, Disrupts European Air Travel
A LOT Polish Airlines flight carrying 181 people, including a group of Jewish high school students from London, was diverted to another airport near Warsaw on Tuesday, November 3, following a bomb threat that prompted an emergency security response.
The aircraft, operating as flight LO286 from London Heathrow Airport to Warsaw Chopin Airport, was redirected to Warsaw-Modlin Airport after authorities received a warning about a possible explosive device on board.
According to airport officials, the alert was issued at approximately 9:54 a.m. local time. The Boeing 737 MAX landed safely at Modlin seven minutes later, at 10:01 a.m.
Among those aboard were Jewish students aged 16 and 17 from a London high school who were traveling to Poland as part of an educational delegation. Some of the students were Israeli citizens living in London.
Following the landing, passengers were evacuated from the aircraft while security personnel conducted inspections.
The mother of one student told Israeli news outlet Ynet that passengers had been taken off the aircraft without their belongings and brought for security screening. The students were reportedly expected to continue their journey to Warsaw by bus.
Warsaw-Modlin Airport temporarily suspended operations as emergency services responded to the threat. Airport authorities subsequently announced that operations had resumed after security checks found no explosive device.
The incident was part of a wider series of bomb threats affecting European air travel.
Another alert was reported Tuesday involving a Scandinavian Airlines flight traveling from Copenhagen to Warsaw. That aircraft landed at Warsaw Chopin Airport as scheduled and underwent security inspections. No explosive device was found.
Additional threats disrupted flights elsewhere in Europe, including incidents involving aircraft traveling to Bulgaria, Italy, and Spain.
Authorities across the affected countries conducted precautionary searches, with no confirmed explosive devices discovered in the incidents reported.
The series of alerts caused flight disruptions and prompted heightened security responses at several European airports.