Tourismupdated 24m ago2 min read
Bomb Threats Divert Aer Lingus EI402 To France’s Évreux-Fauville Air Base, Authorities Say
“Officials assess the threat of the bomb being real as ‘low,’”
“No one claimed responsibility, and officials did not attribute blame.”
This article is an automated aggregation of coverage from news outlets. Our editorials offer in-depth analysis curated by the NewsCord team.
Aer Lingus Dublin–Rome diverted to Evreux Air Base after bomb threat; 151 passengers, crew safe. French prime minister's office monitored the incident in real time.
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Air travel disrupted
Bomb threats forced multiple European airliners into emergency diversions and unplanned landings on Thursday, with authorities confirming that no explosive devices were discovered and no injuries were reported among passengers or crew across the impacted flights. Aer Lingus Flight EI402, en route from Dublin to Rome, diverted to France’s Évreux-Fauville Air Base in Normandy, and the French prime minister’s office monitored the situation in real time. The aircraft turned near Paris and circled over the Évreux area after declaring an in-flight emergency, and French authorities said the air force dispatched planes as soon as the threat was reported.
Bulgarian aviation authorities handled three separate security alerts, and passengers were evacuated to terminals while bomb disposal units inspected the cargo holds and passenger cabins. Czech police said four planes were preparing to make emergency landings at Prague Airport after encountering bomb threats, and the police statement said the credibility of the threats was low.
Who said what
The office of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu said a bomb squad was in place at the airport and that 151 passengers and six crew were moved to safety after the Aer Lingus diversion to the Evreux airfield. A LOT spokesperson said, "No suspicious items were found," after the flight crew conducted an onboard inspection following a potential security threat to flight LO235 from Warsaw to Brussels.
Czech police said, "Nevertheless, we are not underestimating the threat, which is why all necessary security measures have been activated with minimal impact on passengers and airport operations," while adding that "After landing, all aircraft will undergo pyrotechnic inspections." Wizz Air said its Milan to Warsaw flight was re-routed to Vienna after a hoax bomb threat was reported, and the airline stated, "The diversion was carried out in accordance with established safety protocols and procedures."
Tourism and travel risk
Air travel disruption spread across multiple European hubs as airports cleared security perimeters and re-screened baggage, and localized delays followed the emergency diversions and inspections. The BBC said there were no explosives found on the four planes heading to Prague which received threats, and it also reported that Wizz Air diverted its flight from Milan Malpensa to Warsaw to Vienna after a bomb threat during the flight. The BBC also described Aer Lingus Flight EI402 sending a series of messages between the aircraft and ground stations, and it quoted aviation safety expert Marco Chan saying the messages in the log give "a clear account of the diversion."
The broader pattern of threats continued from Tuesday, when at least seven flights and a cruise ship were affected and no devices were discovered, and the disruption came as authorities launched joint investigations to identify the origin of the threats. Al Jazeera’s Frances Read said, "there is no indication of who would be behind this," as the correspondent linked the uncertainty to a wider context of geopolitical tension.