Aer Lingus Flight Diverted to Evreux Airbase After Bomb Threat
The incident follows a day of widespread aviation disruptions across Europe, with officials monitoring the latest in a series of unverified security alerts.
By Thomas Obasi ·
An Aer Lingus Airbus A320 landed at a military base in Normandy on Thursday after receiving a bomb threat en route from Dublin to Rome. The French Prime Minister's office confirmed the diversion to the Evreux airbase, stating that the situation is under active monitoring by the office of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. No further details were released immediately regarding the nature of the threat or the condition of the passengers.
Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed the aircraft declaring an in-flight emergency near Paris. The plane then circled over the Evreux area before making its landing. The diversion to a military facility suggests a coordinated response to the security alert, though the government did not specify the exact protocol followed upon arrival.
This incident marks the second day of widespread disruption in European aviation. On Tuesday, approximately 10 flights across the continent received similar bomb threats. Those alerts forced the brief closure of an airport in Warsaw and prompted Italian air force planes to scramble near Rome. Authorities reported that no explosive devices were found on the aircraft involved in the Tuesday incidents.
On Thursday, additional flights experienced emergency landings due to security concerns. Belgian media reported that a LOT Polish Airlines aircraft was forced to land at Brussels Zaventem airport. In Italy, a Finnair plane flying from Helsinki was escorted to its scheduled landing in Rome by Italian air force aircraft, according to a source close to the matter. Bulgarian officials confirmed that three separate aircraft made emergency landings in the country.
Bulgaria's interior minister stated that planes originating from Copenhagen and Madrid landed in Sofia. Local media reported that a third aircraft, arriving from London, landed in Plovdiv. These incidents follow a pattern of unverified threats that have affected carriers including Ryanair, Wizz Air, and Scandinavian Airlines earlier in the week. A flight headed for Bulgaria was also diverted to Hungary on Monday following a similar threat.
European officials have pointed to Russia and Iran as potential sources of these "hybrid attacks" and acts of sabotage, though both Moscow and Tehran have denied involvement. The timing of these aviation threats coincides with a series of cyber incidents this week. Unidentified hackers shut down refrigerators in supermarkets across several European countries. Some experts suggest the bomb threats may be part of a low-cost strategy designed to cause deniable disruption.
No injuries were reported in the latest incidents. The Aer Lingus flight remains on the ground in Evreux while officials assess the situation. The series of threats has raised questions about the security protocols for trans-European air travel as airlines continue to navigate the uncertainty.
