Aer Lingus flight diverted to French military base after bomb scare

An Aer Lingus flight bound for Rome has been forced to land at a French military base after a bomb alert triggered an emergency diversion. The Guardian reported ^[1] that the aircraft, flight EIN40G, was diverted to Evreux following instructions from French authorities, who confirmed the government is monitoring the situation closely.

The Mirror detailed ^[2] the timeline of the incident, noting the Airbus A320 departed Dublin Airport at 6.40am with a capacity for 174 passengers. While cruising at 37,000ft shortly after entering French airspace, the pilot sent out the 7700 squawk, a code indicating an emergency. The plane circled above France before touching down at the northern airbase around 10am local time.

This disruption comes only two days after seven other flights across Europe were searched or diverted due to malicious hoax bomb alerts. The rapid succession of these incidents has heightened security tensions across the continent. French Prime Minister’s office officials emphasized their vigilance, stating they are keeping a close watch on the evolving situation.

The flight was originally scheduled to arrive at Rome Fiumicino at 10.35am local time. Instead, passengers found themselves on the tarmac at Evreux, a facility typically associated with military operations rather than commercial aviation. Authorities have not yet confirmed the nature of the threat, treating the incident as a potential hoax consistent with recent patterns. The Guardian noted ^[1] that the diversion highlights the vulnerability of air travel to coordinated disruptions, while The Mirror added ^[2] that the specific timing suggests a link to the broader wave of alerts affecting European airspace this week.