Overview
- An Aer Lingus A320 operating flight EI402 from Dublin to Rome diverted on Thursday and landed at the Évreux military air base after the crew issued transponder code Squawk 7700, the international signal for a general emergency.
- French military jets escorted the airliner and demining teams began a thorough inspection of the aircraft while Matignon said it was monitoring the situation in real time.
- All 151 passengers and six crew were moved to a secured area and offered basic assistance such as refreshments while authorities conducted safety checks.
- Officials have not identified the origin or cause of the alert and have not confirmed any link to a wave of similar bomb warnings that targeted about a dozen European flights earlier this week.
- The incident could prompt continued extra screening and operational diversions for flights in the short term as investigators work to determine whether the alerts are coordinated threats or false reports.