After bomb threat, European Aer Lingus flight diverted to French airbase and landed safely under military escort
Dublin flight lands safely
An Airbus A320 flying from Dublin to Rome diverted to Evreux airbase, west of Paris, after a bomb threat. France’s prime minister’s office said on Thursday it was monitoring the situation in real time.
France’s air force said it sent aircraft after the report and escorted the plane to Evreux. The prime minister’s office later confirmed the Aer Lingus flight had landed safely. Flight-tracking websites showed it changing course near Paris before heading to the airfield.
Other flights face disruption
Authorities in several countries reported commercial flights making unscheduled or high-alert landings in France, Italy, Belgium and Bulgaria. Planes landed at Evreux, Brussels airport and locations in Bulgaria.
A flight from Finland reached Rome as scheduled, accompanied by a military escort. Reports of these incidents emerged soon after the France case became public.
Earlier threats and wider concerns
The latest disruption follows bomb threats against several European flights earlier in the week. Those threats proved to be hoaxes, but led to diversions and major security mobilizations; in one case, Italy’s air force escorted a plane to an emergency landing.
The threats targeted LOT, Scandinavian Airlines, Wizz Air and Ryanair. It remains unclear whether the aviation disruptions are connected to apparent cyberattacks affecting freezer units in major supermarkets and French bloodbanks.
Key points
- An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome diverted to Evreux after a bomb threat.
- The plane landed safely with an escort from France’s air force.
- Other flights across France, Italy, Belgium and Bulgaria faced unscheduled or high-alert landings.
- Earlier flight threats proved to be hoaxes; any link to apparent cyberattacks is unclear.