French Investigation Opened After Aer Lingus Pilot Refuses Military Landing During Bomb Threat

French Investigation Opened After Aer Lingus Pilot Refuses Military Landing During Bomb Threat

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Aer Lingus Flight EI402 Diverted to Normandy Airbase After Bomb Threat

French authorities launched a formal investigation on Thursday after an Aer Lingus pilot traveling from Dublin to Rome allegedly refused to land at a military airfield during a coordinated wave of bomb threats disrupting nearly 30 flights across Europe. The incident involving Flight EI402, which carried 151 passengers and six crew members, unfolded as French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu’s office confirmed that two French Air Force fighter jets were scrambled to intercept the airliner and compel it to land at the Évreux-Fauville Air Base in Normandy, according to reports from The Irish Times and RTÉ.ie.

Fighter Jets Scrambled as Pilot Requests Civilian Runway

The flight departed Dublin Airport at 6:24 a.m. local time on Thursday, bound for Rome Fiumicino Airport. Approximately an hour into the journey, passengers were informed by the flight crew that there was a problem with the aircraft and that they were being redirected to a military facility. According to statements from the Évreux prosecutor’s office, the Aer Lingus pilot allegedly declined initial air traffic control directives to touch down at the military base, preferring instead to route the aircraft toward a civilian airport.

Airlive reported that Matignon issued a formal statement noting that because the pilot did not cooperate with authorities as expected, the Prime Minister ordered fighter jets to intercept and escort the commercial liner. Passenger Katie McAteer, speaking on RTÉ Radio’s News at One, described the moment she looked out the window and saw a fighter pilot flying right beside the plane. While she admitted the sight was terrifying, she also noted that tension eased somewhat when the captain subsequently informed passengers he personally believed the threat lacked credibility.

Investigation Opened Under Voluntary Interview Procedures

Following the safe landing at Évreux in northern France, all 151 passengers and six crew members deplaned and were escorted by Gendarmerie units to a gymnasium on the military base. Specialized bomb disposal units searched the aircraft and found no explosives or suspicious devices. The Évreux public prosecutor announced the opening of a formal investigation to determine whether any criminal offense occurred during the standoff.

Moment fighter jet escorts plane after bomb threat hoax | #RTENews #AerLingus

According to Airlive, the pilot was slated to be questioned under standard voluntary interview procedures, known as audition libre, after which prosecutors would decide whether to place him in custody. Meanwhile, Aer Lingus released a statement emphasizing that its pilots fully cooperated with French authorities regarding the matter, confirming that engagement with the officials had concluded. Asked specifically whether the aircraft had initially declined to divert as instructed, the airline declined further comment.

A Continent-Wide Wave of Disruptions

The drama in French airspace was not an isolated event. Aviation authorities across Europe tracked nearly 30 distinct flight disruptions on Thursday alone, following similar malicious alerts earlier in the week. Affected carriers included Ryanair, Wizz Air, Finnair, EasyJet, Aegean Airlines, Iberia, Sky Express, Air Serbia, and LOT, with flights touching Italy, Ireland, Britain, Spain, Bulgaria, Romania, Poland, Finland, Austria, Denmark, Belgium, Portugal, France, Greece, Serbia, and Czechia.

French Investigation Opened After Aer Lingus Pilot Refuses Military Landing During Bomb Threat
Photo: RTE.ie

In Ireland, domestic operations felt the immediate fallout. A Ryanair flight bound from London Stansted to Cork was delayed by 90 minutes after Cork Airport received an anonymous phone threat, as noted by airport operator daa. Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs Helen McEntee called the coordinated disruptions “extremely concerning,” pointing out that they arrived just a week before more than 50 European leaders are scheduled to gather in Dublin for major summits. McEntee stated that Gardaí and national security forces were collaborating closely with European counterparts to safeguard travelers.

Authorities Suspect Coordinated State-Aligned Actors Staged Bomb Hoaxes

While official investigations are ongoing, a senior Irish Government source with direct knowledge of the response told The Irish Times that authorities assume the bomb hoaxes were coordinated and likely the work of state-aligned actors from Russia or Iran. Eric Schouten, head of the aviation security group Dyami, echoed those concerns to RTÉ.ie, framing the incident within the broader context of hybrid warfare where hostile nations attack critical infrastructure—from railways and supermarkets to blood banks and aviation—below the threshold of armed conflict.

Eliran Almog, CEO of aviation cybersecurity firm Cyviation, noted to RTÉ.ie that such hoaxes serve a dual purpose: disrupting daily commercial operations while simultaneously observing how airlines, airports, and governments react under pressure. Conversely, Russian officials dismissed similar past accusations as baseless, while Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto characterized the wave of fake alarms in Rome and across Europe as “under-threshold warfare” designed primarily to stoke regional tensions.

As inquiries continue across multiple jurisdictions, aviation unions have emphasized the intense pressure placed on flight decks during such security events. The Irish Air Line Pilots' Association (IALPA) released a statement stressing that any abnormal or unexpected event drastically increases cockpit workload, demanding exceptional skill from crews responding to high-pressure security threats.

More on this story: Multiple Bomb Threats Target Passenger Flights Across Europe · Multiple European Flights Targeted by Malicious Bomb Threat Hoaxes

Aer Lingus plane at France's Evreux military base after being diverted due to bomb threat | AFP

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