Bomb scare: Airbus A320 flying from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a French military base, 157 people were evacuated

An Airbus A320 operated by the Irish airline Aer Lingus, flying from Dublin to Rome on Thursday morning, was diverted to the Évreux military airbase in the Eure department following a bomb threat. The aircraft, carrying 151 passengers and six crew members, landed safely. All 157 people on board were safely evacuated while bomb disposal experts were called in to inspect the aircraft for any explosive devices.

The Airbus activates emergency code 7700 mid-flight

Aer Lingus flight EI402 had taken off from Dublin bound for Rome-Fiumicino Airport. After about an hour and a half of flight, while the Airbus A320-200, registered EI-DEH, was at an altitude of 37,000 feet, or about 11,300 meters, the crew transmitted the emergency code 7700.

This signal, used in civil aviation to warn air traffic controllers of a general emergency situation, was emitted while the aircraft was crossing French airspace.

The plane then began its descent and made several loops west of the Paris region. Its trajectory initially seemed to be heading towards Paris- Charles-de-Gaulle airport , before it finally headed towards Air Base 105 in Évreux, Normandy.

A Rafale fighter jet was deployed, and the 157 occupants were taken to safety.

The Airbus finally landed without difficulty at the French military base. A Rafale fighter jet also escorted the aircraft during its approach.

The French government has confirmed the operation. The Prime Minister's office stated: "An A320 airliner flying from Dublin to Rome has just been diverted to the Évreux airbase following a bomb threat." The office of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu also indicated that it was monitoring the situation "in real time . "

After landing, the 151 passengers and six crew members were taken to a secure area away from the aircraft. No injuries were reported.

Military bomb disposal teams have been deployed to conduct a thorough inspection of the aircraft. The checks are covering the cabin, cargo holds, and baggage to determine if an explosive device was actually placed on board.

At this stage, the exact nature of the threat has not been specified and the presence of a bomb has not been confirmed.

Around ten planes have already been targeted by bomb threats in Europe

The alert targeting the Aer Lingus flight came two days after a series of similar threats disrupted European air traffic. On Tuesday, at least seven commercial flights were affected by bomb threats, notably in Italy, Poland, Bulgaria , and Spain.

Four Ryanair flights were among those targeted. Two of them, arriving from Dublin and Lisbon, were checked at Rome-Fiumicino Airport. The plane arriving from Dublin was notably escorted by Italian Air Force fighter jets.

In Poland, a LOT Polish Airlines flight from London to Warsaw was diverted to Modlin Airport, which was temporarily closed during security checks. A Scandinavian Airlines plane arriving from Copenhagen was also inspected in Warsaw.

In Spain, a Ryanair flight from Manchester to Murcia was subjected to checks after landing. Two aircraft bound for Sofia, Bulgaria, were also targeted by threats.

The previous day, Monday, a Wizz Air plane flying from London Luton to Sofia had to land in Budapest , Hungary, after a bomb threat in flight. Hungarian fighter jets were scrambled to escort it.

All inspections carried out on the flights concerned on Monday and Tuesday were completed without the discovery of explosives.

Threats whose origin remains unknown

These new alerts are reminiscent of the one that struck a Ryanair flight carrying 166 passengers at Charleroi Airport, Belgium , in May 2025. The plane was isolated on the tarmac and the airport was temporarily paralyzed during security operations.

In February 2025, a plane flying from New York to New Delhi was also forced to land in Rome after a bomb threat , leading to the deployment of exceptional security measures.

Regarding this week's alerts, European authorities have not yet publicly identified their perpetrators. No official link has been established between the various threats, even though their proliferation in just a few days has mobilized several national security services.

For Aer Lingus flight EI402, investigations are continuing in Évreux to determine the origin of the alert and to definitively verify the absence of any explosive device on board.