Serbian Fighter Jets Intercept Brussels–Sofia Flight After Bomb Threat

Two Serbian Armed Forces fighter jets intercepted a Wizz Air passenger plane flying from Brussels to Sofia over the Šumadija region on Friday, 6 November, after a report that a bomb was on board, the Ministry of Defence said. Around 10:30, residents in central Serbia heard what sounded like an explosion: it was the jets breaking the sound barrier.

How the interception unfolded

According to the ministry, the jets were scrambled after the Serbia and Montenegro Air Traffic Services Agency (SMATSA) alerted the military. Air-defence units and search-and-rescue teams were put on the highest level of readiness. The pilots identified the aircraft visually and escorted it to the Bulgarian border before returning to their base at Batajnica. The ministry and the army apologised for disturbing citizens but said such interceptions must be carried out as quickly as possible. The ministry statement did not say where the plane landed or whether anything was found on board.

Part of a wave of hoaxes across Europe

The incident is one of dozens of bomb threats against flights in Europe this week, Beta reported, citing AP. Planes were searched, some were diverted or made emergency landings, and in some cases military jets escorted them. No suspicious objects were found and no one was hurt; European aviation authorities describe the disruption as minimal. On Thursday, Dutch military police detained a man at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport over a threat to a flight to Prague and later released him. Airport authorities in Rome received an emailed threat the same day, and on Friday broadcasters RTE in Ireland, Sky in the UK and Nova TV in Bulgaria also received threats.

Who is behind it

Authorities have not attributed the threats to any group or state. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni blamed pro-Russian hackers for the online publication of Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani's personal data, which he disclosed on Saturday. Analysts quoted by AP said the hoaxes could be copycat incidents, the work of a single group or a form of state-backed hybrid pressure, and described them as a stress test for airports and governments.

What comes next

Security experts are due to meet in Brussels next week to discuss how to respond to such alerts. Serbian authorities have not said whether they are investigating the source of Friday's threat.