An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a military airbase in northern France after a bomb threat, with fighter jets escorting the aircraft. The plane landed safely, and all 151 passengers and six crew members were evacuated, with bomb disposal teams intervening.
Passengers Describe Ordeal
Passenger John May, travelling with his wife Emma Shanley May to mark their 20th wedding anniversary, described the tense moments aboard the Airbus A320. About an hour into the flight, the pilot called the cabin crew to the cockpit urgently, and two of them ran up. "So there was a bit of commotion, and they were in there for a couple of minutes and when they came out one of them looked quite really shook. When we didn't know what was happening, people were a lot more on edge and worried," he recounted.
Mrs May became emotional as they thought of their three children, Fionn, Sonny and Louie, at home. "My wife was very worried, she was getting a bit teary because the kids were at home, so she was worried about the kids, and obviously when you think there's something wrong with the plane, you can't help but expect the worst," Mr May said.
Diversion and Military Escort
The flight began circling, and about half an hour later, the pilot announced a technical issue, saying they would divert to a Paris airport. After another half-hour of circling, the captain revealed that French air traffic control had notified him of a bomb threat, though authorities deemed it lacking credibility.
Despite this, the aircraft was subsequently escorted by fighter jets to Evreux air base. "We could hear the jet over us when we were getting close to the air base and then when we were coming in, we were like, 'this isn't an airport, this is a military base because you could see the army planes on the runway'," Mr May said. "When we started that final descent, we heard it, and we heard it quite close. And then when it peeled off before we were landing, it was super loud, like it was like on top of the plane. As soon as we landed, another fighter jet took off straight away on the runway."
Aftermath and Response
Passengers waited about two hours on the plane for the bomb squad to arrive. Mr May praised the treatment from Aer Lingus and French authorities, noting they were given food and drinks, then disembarked 10 at a time, had bags checked by dogs, and were taken to a gym at the air base.
The French prime minister's office confirmed that "the 151 passengers and six crew members were brought to safety and the bomb disposal teams intervened." An Aer Lingus spokesperson stated: "Aer Lingus and its pilots fully co-operated with the French authorities regarding this matter, and the engagement of the pilots with the authorities has now concluded. Aer Lingus' priority at all times is the safety of our passengers."
The incident was part of a wave of at least 27 flights hit by bomb threats on Thursday, affecting services from Dublin, Copenhagen, Helsinki, Madrid, Milan and Warsaw. Mr May acknowledged he understood why his flight was grounded despite the threat lacking credibility. "The problem with this is there could be 1,000s of these, and they have to treat every single one like it's real," he explained. "At no point can they say, 'oh there's been 990, so let's just forget about it.' You can't risk it, and the people who are doing these hoaxes know that, I presume."
