An Aer Lingus flight traveling from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a military airbase in western France on Thursday following a bomb threat, the French prime minister’s office stated. The aircraft landed safely at the base in Evreux in Normandy.
According to the prime minister’s office, all 151 passengers and six crew members are safe. Military bomb defusal teams are currently examining the plane, and the prime minister’s office said it is following the situation in real time.
Flight tracking data showed the plane was approaching Paris when it turned sharply off its trajectory and performed several loops before heading toward Evreux.
Officials reported that several other flights across Europe received hoax bomb threats this week, resulting in searches, diversions, and one instance where a plane was escorted by the Italian air force until it landed. The affected flights included Ryanair, Wizz Air, Scandinavian Airlines, and the Polish airline LOT. These threats occurred one day after a plane destined for Bulgaria was diverted to Hungary due to a similar threat while in the air. No injuries were reported in any of these incidents.
While no country has specifically pointed fingers at the source of the threats, European officials have blamed both Russia and Iran for what they describe as “hybrid attacks” and acts of sabotage. Both Moscow and Tehran deny any such campaign.
Eric Schouten, the head of aviation security group Dyami, stated that the incidents fit the narrative of Russian state actors who want to disturb Europe, noting that the operations align with other disruptions such as drone incursions, attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems, and mysterious triggers to alert apps.
