French authorities launched an emergency response on Thursday morning after a passenger aircraft travelling from Dublin to Rome was forced to change course following reports of a possible explosive device on board.
According to Reuters, the aircraft involved was an Aer Lingus Airbus A320, which was diverted to the military air base at Évreux in northern France.
The office of French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu confirmed the incident, stating that the government was closely monitoring developments.
According to aviation news website AIRLIVE, flight EI402 departed Dublin at 6.20am local time bound for Rome Fiumicino Airport.
Approximately 90 minutes after take-off, while flying over France at an altitude of 37,000 feet, the crew transmitted the 7700 emergency squawk code, indicating a general emergency.
The aircraft initially headed towards Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport before changing course again and proceeding towards the Évreux area.
The incident comes just two days after a series of bomb threats disrupted air travel across Europe.
On 3 November, at least seven flights were affected by similar warnings, with aircraft subjected to extensive security checks and some forced to divert.
In one case, Italian fighter jets escorted a Ryanair aircraft from Dublin until its landing in Rome.
Investigations into those earlier incidents found no explosive devices, while authorities continue to investigate the origin of the threats.
Source: Reuters
