A new alert has been issued for European air travel, as threats of bombs on aircraft operating flights in various European countries continue. Incidents have been reported in France, Bulgaria, Belgium, and Italy, leading to flight diversions, forced landings, and a mobilization of authorities. The new threats follow similar warnings that caused turmoil on Tuesday, with at least seven aircraft and one cruise ship coming under scrutiny by authorities.
Specifically, an Airbus A20 aircraft, which was flying from Dublin to Rome, changed course and landed at the Évreux Air Base in France following a bomb threat, as announced today by the office of French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.
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The situation is being monitored by the Prime Minister’s office, the same statement added.
SEE ALSO: Bomb threat on Dublin-Rome flight: Emergency landing at a military base in France
The Prime Minister’s Office announced that the aircraft, carrying 151 passengers and a six-member crew, landed safely at the Évreux base and that all passengers have been evacuated while bomb disposal experts are inspecting the aircraft.
According to the flight-tracking website Flightradar24, the aircraft belongs to Aer Lingus, which was forced to return to the Paris area and circled over the Évreux region after declaring an emergency.
Meanwhile, three aircraft were forced to land at airports in Bulgaria following bomb threats, local media reported on Thursday, citing government ministers. Two of the aircraft, which were flying from Copenhagen and Madrid, respectively, landed in Sofia, according to the bTV television network, which cited the interior minister. Similarly, the television network NOVA TV cited statements by the Minister of Transportation. The third aircraft, which had departed from London, had landed in Plovdiv.
Meanwhile, a passenger plane landed at Brussels Airport in Belgium following a report of a suspicious incident, according to a report in the Belgian newspaper Le Soir. A flight operated by the Polish airline LOT, which was traveling from Warsaw, landed safely at Brussels Airport, following a report of a suspicious incident, a Reuters source said on Thursday, confirming related reports in the Belgian media. Airport officials told Belgian media that no additional security measures were deemed necessary.
A bomb threat was also reported on a Finnair flight from Helsinki to Rome, with the aircraft being escorted to the airport in the Italian capital by Italian Air Force fighter jets, according to the ANSA news agency. A Finnair spokesperson stated that there had been a bomb threat on one of the company’s flights bound for Rome, which, however, landed normally.
A Finnair spokesperson stated that there was a new threat against the company’s flight from Helsinki to Vienna, which was operated by Jettime, adding that the aircraft landed safely in Vienna.
At least seven flights and one cruise ship in Europe received bomb threats on Tuesday, which caused disruptions at airports, although no explosive devices were ultimately found.
According to the BBC, the threats involved flights that landed in Poland, Spain, Italy, and Bulgaria, while two of the aircraft had departed from the United Kingdom.
Specifically:
In Poland, two aircraft were searched following bomb threats. A LOT flight from London Heathrow Airport, carrying 181 passengers and bound for Warsaw Chopin Airport, changed course and landed at Modlin Airport.
A second SAS flight from Copenhagen landed normally at Chopin Airport, where the aircraft was inspected.
In Spain, a Ryanair flight from Manchester to Murcia was inspected by emergency services after landing. There were 121 people on board the flight, including the crew.
Passengers were evacuated from the aircraft, and a search was conducted with the assistance of a specially trained dog. Spanish authorities ruled out the presence of explosives, and airport operations returned to normal.
In Italy, two Ryanair flights, from Lisbon and Dublin to Rome, were inspected at Fiumicino Airport following anonymous tips about possible bomb threats.
Specialized police bomb disposal experts conducted searches of the aircraft, passengers, and luggage but found no explosives. The flight from Dublin was escorted by the Italian Air Force until it landed.
In Bulgaria, threats were made against two flights bound for Sofia: one operated by Wizz Air from Bergamo, Italy, and one from Dublin.
According to Bulgarian police, the threats were communicated via email. The aircraft landed normally and were inspected by special counterterrorism units and border guards, with no explosive devices found.
Source: skai.gr
