Pilotium Editorial Team
6 Nov 2026
The key aviation stories from 1 to 6 November 2026: a wave of hoax bomb threats against European flights, record passenger numbers at Turkish Airlines, Airbus's October orders and deliveries, and new SunExpress routes to Central Asia.
The first week of November brought a wave of hoax bomb threats against European flights, record third-quarter passenger numbers at Turkish Airlines, Airbus's strongest order month of the year and new Turkish routes to Central Asia. Here are the stories that matter for pilots and cabin crew.
1. Wave of hoax bomb threats disrupts European flights
Between 1 and 5 November, a series of hoax bomb threats disrupted flights across Europe. On 1 November, an Austrian Airlines flight from Tel Aviv to Vienna was diverted to Bulgaria. On 2 November, a Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Sofia diverted to Budapest under a Hungarian Gripen escort. On 3 November, threats against SAS, LOT, Ryanair and Wizz Air flights temporarily closed Warsaw Modlin Airport and a runway at Warsaw Chopin.
On 5 November, at least 27 flights received threats, and Aer Lingus, Ryanair and Wizz Air aircraft were diverted. All aircraft landed safely and no explosives were found. IATA condemned the threats and called on the authorities to find those responsible.
2. Turkish Airlines reports its third-quarter results
On 4 November, Turkish Airlines reported third-quarter 2026 revenue of about $8.3 billion, up 19.3%, and core operating profit of $929 million. It carried 28.5 million passengers, up 4.7%, at a load factor of 87.1%, up 1.5 points. Net profit in its KAP filing was TL 61.5 billion, up 9.7%.
3. Airbus: 200 net orders and 74 deliveries in October
Airbus delivered 74 aircraft to 45 customers in October, bringing its 2026 total to 621. October net orders reached 200, led by lessors: Avolon and Aviation Capital Group each ordered 75 single-aisle jets, and CIT Leasing ordered 35 A330-900s. Net orders for the year now stand at 1,305. Airbus needs 249 more deliveries in November and December to reach its target of around 870.
4. SunExpress adds Central Asia routes for summer 2027
SunExpress will launch Antalya–Almaty twice weekly from 22 March 2027 and Izmir–Astana twice weekly from 1 May 2027.
What this means for crews
Every threat this week was a hoax, but each one was still handled as real, with diversions, partial airport closures and, in some cases, fighter escorts. Review your operator's bomb-threat procedures.
Continued airline growth and Airbus's order backlog both point to sustained demand for pilots and cabin crew.
Pilotium tracks open recruitment on its Airline Hiring pages.
Sources
Rus Tourism News: Seven European flights hit by bomb threats
Daily Sabah (AFP): Hoax bomb threats disrupt European flights
Paddle Your Own Kanoo: New wave of hoax calls disrupts European flights
Checked on 6 November 2026.
