French authorities have begun an investigation after an Aer Lingus pilot allegedly refused to land at a military airfield when a hoax bomb threat was made against his aircraft.
The Evreux prosecutor’s office said it had opened an investigation after the Aer Lingus aircraft “allegedly refused” to land at the military base, “preferring a civilian airport”.
The French military dispatched two fighter jets to escort the aircraft, which subsequently landed at an air force base in Normandy. No explosives were found on the aircraft.
In a statement on Thursday night, Aer Lingus said its pilots “fully co-operated with the French authorities regarding this matter, and the engagement of the pilots with the authorities has now concluded”.
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Asked if the aircraft had initially declined to divert as instructed, Aer Lingus said it had no further comment.
On Friday it added: “The captain and crew on Aer Lingus flight EI402 acted impeccably and were thoroughly professional throughout yesterday’s security issue. Safety and the care of our passengers is Aer Lingus’ top priority and this was upheld professionally by the captain and crew of the aircraft throughout in what were very challenging circumstances.”
Inquiries across Europe are continuing after almost 30 flights, including Aer Lingus and Ryanair aircraft, were disrupted by hoax bomb threats on Thursday.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee said the events, which come a week before more than 50 European leaders gather in Dublin for major summits, were “extremely concerning”.
She said gardaí and security forces were working with counterparts in Europe to ensure the safety of those travelling.
“Everything that needs to be done and should be done will be done to ensure their security and safety throughout this,” she said.
A senior Government source with knowledge of the response said the assumption was that the bomb hoaxes were co-ordinated and that they were most likely the work of agents aligned with Russia or Iran.
“There’s a pattern of the likes of Russia disrupting Europe and other countries,” the source said.
McEntee said it was “not clear” where the hoaxes had come from. “My understanding is some came through emails, but there are different sources,” she said. “There is work under way to see if these are connected but that’s not clear.”
A spokeswoman for Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien said investigations were “in the hands of the appropriate aviation, policing and security bodies in the relevant jurisdictions”.
Almost 30 flights across Europe were affected by the threats on Thursday, with one Irish passenger describing the incident as “terrifying”. The threats came after similar incidents caused disruption earlier in the week.
Two Ryanair flights, one from Dublin to Prague and one from London Stansted to Cork, were among those affected. The flight bound for Cork was delayed by 90 minutes after Cork Airport received an anonymous phone threat.
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The Aer Lingus flight was en route from Dublin to Rome when it was diverted in northern France.
Dubliner Katie McAteer, who was aboard the flight, said the flight was about an hour into its journey when passengers were told by the pilot there was a “problem with plane” and that it had been directed to land at the airbase.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio’s News at One, she recalled seeing a “fighter pilot flying right beside the plane”, describing the sight as “scary”.
“I think none of us really knew what was going on at that point,” she said, though the pilot subsequently informed passengers he believed the threat was not credible, which was “relieving”.
“But yeah, it was terrifying,” she added.
Overall, flights between Italy, Ireland, Britain, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Finland, Austria, Denmark, Belgium, Portugal, France, Greece, Serbia and Czechia were affected, had to make emergency landings or were diverted.
The bomb threats on Thursday affected flights by Ryanair, Aer Lingus, Wizz Air, Finnair, EasyJet, Aegean Airlines, Iberia, Sky Express, Air Serbia and LOT. All flights landed safely, with searches of the aircraft finding nothing suspicious.
Ryanair was also contacted for comment on the disruptions.
