A new wave of Europe bomb threats disrupted flights across the continent on Thursday, forcing an Aer Lingus passenger jet to divert to a French military airbase and fighter jets to scramble, in the second wave of aviation security alerts to hit the continent this week.
Aer Lingus flight EI402, travelling from Dublin to Rome with 151 passengers and six crew members on board, declared an in-flight emergency about 90 minutes into its journey and landed safely at Évreux-Fauville Air Base in Normandy. No explosive device was found on board, and no one has claimed responsibility for the threats.
FAKTA
- Flight: Aer Lingus EI402, Dublin to Rome Fiumicino, Airbus A320-200 (registration EI-DEH).
- On board: 151 passengers and six crew members – 157 people in total.
- What happened: About 90 minutes after departing Dublin at around 06:20 GMT, the crew transmitted squawk code 7700, the international signal for a general emergency, while cruising at 37,000 feet over France. The aircraft circled west of Paris before diverting to Évreux.
- Response: French fighter jets escorted the aircraft to the military base, where bomb disposal teams examined the plane and all on board were moved to a safe place.
- Scale: At least eight flights were affected across Europe on Thursday, according to the BBC. No explosive device was found in any of the searches.
- Context: It is the second wave of bomb threats against European flights this week. At least seven flights were targeted on Tuesday, and a Wizz Air flight was diverted to Budapest on Monday.
Aer Lingus Flight Diverted to Military Base
Flight EI402 left Dublin Airport at about 06:20 GMT on Thursday morning, bound for Rome Fiumicino. Tracking data showed the Airbus A320 cruising normally at 37,000 feet just west of Paris about an hour into the flight, before the crew declared an emergency and the aircraft began descending in a series of loops.
The office of French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said it was monitoring the situation in real time. A bomb squad was in place at Évreux-Fauville Air Base, and the 151 passengers and six crew members were moved to a safe place after landing.
French media reported that a Rafale fighter jet escorted the A320 during its approach to the military base. The alert was relayed to French authorities by an Italian source, according to flight-tracking reports. Aer Lingus said the flight “diverted to Normandy this morning as a security precaution” and that it would work to reaccommodate customers to their final destination as soon as possible.
Passengers were later informed that the security threat linked to the flight had been assessed as non-credible. No explosive device was found, and the French prime minister’s office said the situation was being closely monitored.
Europe Bomb Threats Spread Across Several Countries
The Aer Lingus diversion was not the only incident on Thursday. Bomb alerts were reported on flights in several European countries, and at least eight flights were affected, according to the BBC.
In Italy, air force jets escorted a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome to Fiumicino Airport after a bomb alert. In Bulgaria, three aircraft had to make emergency landings because of bomb threats: two flights, from Copenhagen and Madrid, landed in Sofia, while a third flight from London landed in Plovdiv. Bomb alerts were also reported on two flights from Rome and Milan, according to Italy’s ANSA news agency.
A British Airways flight from London Heathrow to Warsaw and a Ryanair service from Manchester to Murcia in southern Spain were also affected. A Ryanair flight from Dublin to Sofia, carrying 185 passengers, was searched after receiving a warning, and bomb disposal experts searched two Ryanair aircraft at Rome Fiumicino after anonymous warnings about possible bombs. No explosives were found in any of the searches.
Second Wave of Threats in a Week
Thursday’s incidents came only two days after a similar wave of bomb threats disrupted air travel across Europe on Tuesday. At least seven flights were targeted that day, forcing diversions and searches at airports in several countries, and a runway at Warsaw Chopin Airport was briefly closed while a Scandinavian Airlines flight was inspected. No explosive devices were discovered.
A day earlier, on Monday, a Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Sofia was diverted to Budapest after receiving a bomb threat in midair. Authorities have not said who is behind the threats, whether the incidents are linked, or what motive may be involved. Investigations are continuing, and no one has claimed responsibility.
Airlines and airports across Europe remain on alert as the wave of threats continues. For more on European aviation and security, see the Europe news section.
