Bomb threats and attacks on fridges are used to test Europe’s NATO defences
Eurocontrol updates its figures: 35 alerts in three days. The absence of explosives or damage to the cold chain must not lead us to brush the issue aside. Every emergency sheds light on a different aspect of how institutions operate: from relations between air traffic controllers and the military, right through to the resumption of services. Hybrid warfare aims to test the limits of EU coordination
Key points
On 3, 5 and 6 November , Eurocontrol, the organisation responsible for aviation safety, reported threats against 35 flights: seven on 3 November, fourteen on 5 November and a further fourteen yesterday. Some aircraft were diverted, others inspected; in some cases, military fighter jets were deployed. There is no evidence that the messages originated from an intelligence service, nor that they were coordinated. However, the absence of explosives does not resolve the issue: every emergency reveals a facet of how institutions operate, from the relationship between air traffic controllers and the military to the resumption of services. And this is the point of the hybrid warfare operation currently underway: to test the coordination and technical resilience of the EU and NATO within European borders
Seven out of 26,278 flights were affected by bomb alerts on 3 November, and fourteen out of 28,488 on 5 November. Meanwhile, there were 29,550 flights in European airspace yesterday. In short, this represents a percentage ranging between 0.026 per cent and 0.05 per cent. The agency did not detect any measurable impact on delays across the entire network. There was therefore no paralysis of continental air traffic, although individual airports, flight crews and security forces had to cope with diversions and checks. And it is from this aspect that it is worth beginning a more detailed analysis.
Coordination of air defence
NATO coordinates integrated air defence through the Allied Air Command in Ramstein and the Combined Air Operations Centres in Torrejón, Uedem and Bodø, which are linked to national commands. The Alliance monitors up to 30,000 aircraft movements daily, whilst also tracking civil air traffic. No threats or combat-ready aircraft. On 23 February 2025, two Italian Eurofighters escorted an American Airlines flight from New York to Delhi to Fiumicino following a bomb threat. The Italian Air Force identified the NATO centre in Torrejón and the Italian facility at Poggio Renatico. This is a concrete example of a multi-tiered response.
European capabilities do exist, but they are spread across different missions
In France, the permanent air security posture comprises, according to official sources, around 450 personnel and 70 civilian and military radar stations; in 2025, the Ministry of the Armed Forces recorded 452 incidents, not all of which related to hostile threats. In the United Kingdom, the Royal Air Force maintains the Quick Reaction Alert with Typhoons. Germany also deploys Eurofighters on allied missions: the detachment in Romania logged 35 alert take-offs, over 650 flight hours and around 170 military personnel during the operation, which ended in March 2026.
On 10 September 2025, Warsaw reported 19 airspace violations by Russian drones. The response described by NATO involved Polish F-16s, Dutch F-35s, Italian aerial surveillance, German Patriot systems and allied support. Nine days later, three Russian MiG-31s violated Estonian airspace, prompting an intervention by Italian F-35s on Baltic patrol. These are military events, not anonymous threats: they demonstrate that a state’s defence can mobilise resources from multiple allies simultaneously. The problem is that air patrols, civilian assistance and armed incursions are not equivalent measures.
