Several passenger flights across Europe have been targeted by bomb threats for the second time this week, forcing emergency landings, aircraft searches and the deployment of military aircraft.
An Aer Lingus flight travelling from Dublin, Ireland, to Rome, Italy, was diverted to a military airbase in France on Thursday, November 5, following a bomb alert.
The Airbus A320 landed safely at the Évreux airbase in Normandy, according to the office of French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu.
All 151 passengers and six crew members were safe, while military bomb disposal teams were deployed to examine the aircraft.
Flight-tracking information showed the aircraft changing direction as it approached Paris, making several turns before heading toward the military facility.
Aer Lingus confirmed that the flight had been diverted as a security precaution and said arrangements would be made to get passengers to their final destination.
The latest incident follows a series of similar threats earlier this week involving several major European airlines, including Ryanair, Wizz Air, Scandinavian Airlines and LOT Polish Airlines.
On Tuesday, at least seven passenger flights were affected by bomb threats across Europe, prompting aircraft inspections, diversions and temporary disruptions at airports in Poland, Spain, Italy and Bulgaria.
Among the incidents, a Ryanair flight travelling from Dublin to Rome was escorted by Italian military aircraft before landing safely. Another Ryanair flight from Lisbon was also searched after arriving in Rome.
In Spain, authorities inspected a Ryanair aircraft travelling from Manchester to Murcia after receiving a bomb warning. The aircraft landed safely, and passengers were evacuated while security personnel conducted their checks.
Polish authorities also investigated threats involving aircraft arriving from London Heathrow and Copenhagen. One flight was diverted to Warsaw-Modlin Airport, resulting in temporary airport restrictions.
Investigators found no explosives aboard the aircraft involved in Tuesday’s incidents.
The wave of security alerts began earlier in the week when a Wizz Air flight travelling from London Luton to Sofia, Bulgaria, was forced to make an emergency landing in Budapest, Hungary, on Monday.
Hungarian military aircraft escorted the passenger plane before it landed. A subsequent inspection found no explosives.
British authorities have described the earlier incidents as malicious hoax threats, while aviation security officials continue examining whether the warnings are connected.
The unusual concentration of threats has raised concerns about aviation security across Europe, particularly as authorities work to determine whether the incidents are coordinated or the actions of individuals making copycat threats.
No injuries have been reported in the incidents, and authorities have not established a connection between the threats.
European aviation authorities continue to treat each warning seriously, with airlines and airport security teams following emergency procedures to protect passengers and crew.
Sources: BBC News, The Associated Press, RTÉ News and Aer Lingus statements.
This article was originally published by Antigua News Room. Read the original article here: Bomb Threats Disrupt Multiple Flights Across Europe for Second Time This Week.