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'Bomb on board': How 3 minute warning changed Dublin to Rome flight's route

By · Via Times of India · Published by Everything Blog

In short

While flying over Paris on Friday, the Dublin-to-Rome flight initially turned toward Charles de Gaulle Airport before government orders rerouted it to Évreux-Fauville military airbase. French military escorts guided the aircraft safely away from populated zones until it touched down shortly after 10 a.m. local time. Passengers learned of the specific bomb threat only after landing, after which police, soldiers, and sniffer dogs conducted a search operation that lasted two and a half hours.

Key points

  • Fighter jet escorts serve as standard emergency protocols to monitor compromised aircraft…: Fighter jet escorts serve as standard emergency protocols to monitor compromised aircraft and steer them away from major population centers.
  • Aviation operations across Europe suffered broad disruptions as more than 30 flights alte…: Aviation operations across Europe suffered broad disruptions as more than 30 flights altered routes over two consecutive days.
  • Flights bound for Italy and Bulgaria also required military escorts due to threats that t…: Flights bound for Italy and Bulgaria also required military escorts due to threats that the United Kingdom labeled malicious hoaxes.

Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1

An Aer Lingus flight from Dublin to Rome carrying more than 150 passengers was diverted to France on Friday after air traffic control alerted its crew to a bomb threat reportedly targeting the aircraft. The warning was relayed to the pilots while the plane was flying over Paris, prompting an immediate change of course and an emergency diversion.

The aircraft had taken off from Dublin on Friday morning. Just before 9am local time, while flying over Paris, it began descending and turned west towards Charles de Gaulle Airport. The crew first informed authorities in Dublin that the aircraft was diverting to the Paris airport.

Three minutes later, the crew sent another message explaining the reason for the diversion. It said: "The plane is diverting due to a bomb on board threat, relayed to them by air traffic control on the ground."

However, the aircraft was subsequently redirected to Évreux-Fauville military airbase following a government order. It landed there shortly after 10am, escorted by French fighter jets.

How bomb threat was relayed to the crew

The threat was communicated to the…

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