Dublin-Rome flight diverted to French airbase as bomb threat wave hits European aviation

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Paris: A string of bomb threats has targeted commercial flights across Europe, triggering emergency landings, military jet escorts, and widespread airport disruptions.

In one of the primary incidents on Thursday, reported by Euronews, French authorities confirmed that an airliner travelling from Dublin to Rome was rerouted to France, where it was escorted by military aircraft after a suspected bomb threat. France’s air force stated that it had dispatched planes “as soon as the threat was reported.”

A statement from French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s office confirmed that “the situation is being monitored.”

Prime Minister Lecornu later updated that “the aircraft has landed safely at Évreux. The 151 passengers and 6 crew members have been brought to safety, and bomb disposal teams are on-site.”

Flight tracking website Flightradar24 publicly posted regarding the diversion, writing in a post on X, “Aer Lingus flight #EI402 (Dublin – Rome) is diverting to Evreux Fauville Air Base, with squawk 7700.”

The security alerts extended far beyond France, with Euronews detailing additional emergencies across the continent. Italian media reported that bomb alerts were noted on two flights to Rome and from Milan, leading Italian jets to escort a Helsinki-originating flight safely into the Italian capital.

Highlighting the ripple effect on Italian air traffic, Flightradar24 also posted, “Meanwhile, no aircraft have departed from Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) in the past 30 minutes. The reason for the disruption is currently unknown.”

Elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe, aviation authorities were put on high alert.
A spokesperson for Finland’s flag carrier Finnair said a bomb threat was made against a Jettime-operated flight from Helsinki to Vienna, though the aircraft landed in the Austrian capital without incident, Euronews reported.

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In the Czech Republic, police stated that four flights heading to Prague faced bomb threats, prompting airport authorities to prepare for their emergency landings.

Additionally, transport ministry authorities in Bulgaria reported that bomb threats were made against three Ryanair flights headed to the capital, Sofia. Two of those planes, which took off from Copenhagen and Madrid, reached Sofia safely, while the third aircraft originating from London was diverted to Plovdiv, Euronews reported.

As per the reports, the affected countries are Belgium, Sweden, the Netherlands, Estonia, Luxembourg, Finland and Ireland. The incidents come less than a month after a similar cyberattack affected hundreds of supermarkets in France on October 12.

According to Euronews, the latest incidents are believed to have taken place between Sunday night (local time) and Monday morning (local time), with cybercriminals exploiting vulnerabilities in supermarket refrigeration systems.

The incidents have raised concerns over vulnerabilities in remotely controlled refrigeration and other operational technology systems. Advances in technology have enabled equipment such as refrigerators and heating systems, which were previously operated manually, to be controlled and monitored remotely.

A European Commission spokesperson said the incidents highlighted the importance of cybersecurity across the bloc.

“These incidents show that cyberattacks can disrupt services, affect businesses and directly affect citizens’ daily lives,” the spokesperson said.

No group has claimed responsibility for the latest attacks. Authorities have also not identified those behind the similar incidents reported in France last month.

Also Read: Watch: Dubai Flooded After Heavy Rain, Cars Stuck On Roads, Flights Diverted

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