Bomb alerts prompted several flight diversions and security checks across Europe on Thursday.
An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome landed safely at France’s Évreux air base with 151 passengers and six crew members.
Wizz Air diverted a Milan-Warsaw flight to Vienna; other aircraft landed in Bulgaria for checks.
Bomb alerts disrupted air traffic across Europe on Thursday, sending several passenger aircraft to alternate airports and prompting security checks on the ground. The incidents came two days after threats targeted around 10 flights across the continent.
An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to France while approaching Paris. The French Prime Minister’s office said the Airbus A320 landed safely at the Évreux air base with 151 passengers and six crew members on board. Military bomb-disposal teams were examining the aircraft, it said.
Flight-tracking websites showed the plane turning away from its route and circling before heading towards Évreux, the Associated Press reported. The Prime Minister’s office said it was monitoring the situation in real time but released no further details.
A Wizz Air flight travelling from Milan to Warsaw also changed course after a threat was reported during the flight. The aircraft landed in Vienna, an airline spokesperson told AP.
Security Checks At Airports In Poland And Bulgaria
A LOT Polish Airlines flight from Warsaw to Paris was stopped as it taxied and moved to a parking stand for inspection, Bulgarian authorities said. The search found no hazardous items.
Authorities also dealt with alerts involving three other aircraft that landed in Bulgaria. Flights from Copenhagen and Madrid arrived in Sofia, while a flight from London landed in Plovdiv, local media reported. Reuters cited those reports.
Tuesday’s Threats Prompted Searches And Diversions
The Thursday disruptions followed a similar series of alerts on Tuesday involving aircraft operated by LOT, Scandinavian Airlines, Wizz Air and Ryanair, AP reported. Around 10 flights were targeted, leading to searches, diversions and the brief closure of a Warsaw airport.
All the aircraft landed safely, and searches found no explosives. One plane was escorted by the Italian Air Force until it landed.
Ryanair was among the most affected carriers, with four of its flights to different destinations targeted. London’s Metropolitan Police said it had received information about threats against four aircraft due to depart from or arrive at Heathrow Airport.
