Bomb Threats Disrupt European Flights for Third Day, Aer Lingus Jet Diverted
At a Glance
A flight from Ireland to Italy was diverted to a military air base in France because of a bomb threat.
Hoax alerts also hit a Finnair flight and a Wizz Air flight on Thursday.
It was the third day this week that bomb threats disrupted air traffic over Europe.
A flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a military air base in western France on Thursday after a bomb threat, the French prime minister’s office said, as hoax alerts disrupted air traffic across Europe for a third day this week.
Key Statements and Focus Area
On the Passengers’ Safety: The flight landed safely at the base in Evreux, Normandy, and all 151 passengers and six crew members are safe, with military bomb defusal teams examining the plane. — Office of French Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu.
On the Diversion Protocol: “The diversion was carried out in accordance with established safety protocols and procedures.” — Wizz Air statement.
Focus Area: The bomb threat against the Aer Lingus flight and the wave of hoax threats hitting European aviation this week.
Flight tracking sites showed the Aer Lingus aircraft was approaching Paris when it turned sharply off course, made several loops, and headed toward Evreux, where French authorities said it was escorted by military aircraft. The prime minister’s office said it was following the situation in real time.
Also on Thursday, hoax alerts were reported on a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome and a Wizz Air flight from Milan to Warsaw, which was re-routed to Vienna. The Helsinki-Rome flight was escorted to Rome by a fighter jet and checked by bomb disposal experts, an airport spokesman told AFP.
The disruption has built through the week. On Monday, a Wizz Air flight from London Luton to Sofia was diverted and made an emergency stop in Budapest. On Tuesday, about ten flights were targeted, including LOT, Scandinavian Airlines, Wizz Air, and Ryanair services.
Those hoaxes forced the closure of a Warsaw airport and the deployment of Italian air force jets to protect flights. A day before Thursday’s incidents, a plane headed for Bulgaria was diverted to Hungary after a similar threat. No one was injured in any of the incidents.
FYI
Bomb threats against aircraft are not a new phenomenon, but they come at a time of heightened geopolitical tension in Europe.
Recent signs of “disruption” include attacks on supermarket refrigeration systems, drone incursions, and mysterious triggers to emergency alert apps, while authorities have warned that hybrid threats are widespread.
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