Warsaw airport shuts down as two flights get bomb threats
Two passenger planes travelling to Warsaw, Poland, received bomb threats on Tuesday, 3 November, forcing one aircraft to make an unscheduled landing and temporarily shutting down an airport near the capital.
The first alert involved a LOT Polish Airlines flight travelling from London Heathrow to Warsaw Chopin Airport. The Boeing 737 MAX was diverted to Warsaw-Modlin Airport, which is about 36 kilometres from the city.
BREAKING: Polish authorities are evacuating two passenger planes at two airports in the Warsaw area after bomb threats. One SAS flight from Copenhagen is being evacuated at Chopin Airport while a LOT flight is being evacuated at Modlin Airport. https://t.co/PXrgt9uCo0
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) November 3, 2026
According to airport officials, the bomb warning was issued at 9:54 a.m. local time, just seven minutes before the aircraft landed safely at Modlin at 10:01 a.m.
There were 181 people on board. Emergency services moved the aircraft to a designated area, where security personnel and explosives specialists began inspecting it.
Airport authorities suspended operations while the investigation was under way. Passengers were evacuated from the aircraft as a precaution.
«Due to the situation, Warsaw/Modlin Airport remains closed until further notice,» the airport said in its initial statement.
The facility subsequently resumed operations, although the area surrounding the aircraft remained restricted while security checks continued.
Second bomb threat reported at Warsaw Chopin Airport
A separate warning was issued for a Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) flight arriving from Copenhagen.
Unlike the London flight, the SAS aircraft landed at its scheduled destination, Warsaw Chopin Airport, where security personnel began checking the plane for a possible explosive device.
The aircraft was carrying approximately 60 passengers, according to The Times.
Airport officials said operations at Chopin continued despite the security alert. However, the SAS aircraft temporarily closed the runway during the inspection.
