Last week I explained how dozens of flights across Europe faced bomb threats. This was clearly a hoax, but it has to be taken seriously, and we’ve seen all sorts of hijackings, flight cancellations, etc.
Europe’s largest union representing pilots is now sharing details of an incident during one of these diversions, in which an Aer Lingus flight was forced by fighter jets to divert to a French military base. When pilots were uncomfortable doing so, they were reportedly threatened with criminal prosecution.
Aer Lingus flight forced to divert to French military base
This incident occurred on Thursday 5 November 2026 and concerns Aer Lingus flight EI402, scheduled to operate from Dublin (DUB) to Rome (FCO). The Airbus A320 registered EI-DEH took off at 6:40 a.m. local time and headed southeast towards Rome.
The A320 flew for about an hour and passed Paris, when the plane changed course and prepared to divert. French fighter jets had been deployed to escort the plane and demanded that it divert to a French military base. Concretely, the plane diverted to the Évreux-Fauville air base (EVX), located in Normandy.
The plane landed there at 10:05 a.m. local time, 2 hours 25 minutes after its first departure (there was a time change of one hour). Coincidentally, this is basically the same flight duration as Rome, as the plane had to wait for an extended period of time.
The plane eventually returned to Dublin later that day, taking off at 4:59 p.m. local time and landing in Dublin at 5:20 p.m. local time, after a flight time of 1 hour 21 minutes. The passengers therefore spent almost 12 hours on the plane, finally returning to where they started. Man, that’s tough, especially considering these A320s don’t have power ports, Wi-Fi, etc.
Aer Lingus pilots tried to refuse diversion and were threatened
This is where the story gets really interesting, as explained by the European Cockpit Association (ECA), which represents more than 44,000 pilots across Europe, including Aer Lingus pilots. The union expresses serious concerns about the way this incident was handled.
What happened was that the Aer Lingus pilots did not want to divert to the Évreux-Fauville air base because they did not have the operational information and aeronautical charts necessary to land there. They requested a landing at another airport, but their request was denied. According to the pilots, they were even threatened with criminal prosecution if they did not divert to the airport as requested.
It is on this point that the union is sounding the alarm. Let me just quote the union on this:
As representatives of the pilot profession, ECA, IALPA and SNPL fully recognize and appreciate the assistance provided by authorities in responding to these threats and supporting flight crews in keeping their passengers and aircraft safe.
However, reports indicate that, in some circumstances, military aircraft have intercepted civilian airliners and ordered aircraft commanders to land at specific airports without adequately considering the aircraft’s operational and safety requirements.
According to information received by IALPA, in a recent incident involving an Aer Lingus aircraft, a military fighter jet ordered the flight crew to divert to a military airfield for which they did not have the necessary aeronautical charts and operational information to make a safe landing. Although the flight crew sought an alternative, more suitable diversion airport, their request was denied.
The ECA, IALPA and SNPL are also alarmed by subsequent reports that the pilots faced the prospect of possible criminal prosecution for actions which, at all times, were intended to protect their passengers, crew and aircraft.
The union emphasizes that the captain of a flight should have ultimate responsibility for the safety of passengers, crew and the aircraft, and that the captain is in a unique position to assess operational circumstances and determine the safest course of action, taking into account all relevant factors, including aircraft performance, available aeronautical information, airport suitability, operational limitations and the availability of emergency ground assistance.
The union stresses that the prospect of criminal prosecution against pilots exercising their professional judgment in such circumstances risks undermining aviation safety and effective cooperation between flight crews and authorities.
Conclusion
An Aer Lingus A320 was recently forced to divert to a military base in France, after the plane faced a bomb threat (which also affected dozens of other flights). Fighter jets reportedly demanded that the plane be diverted to this airport despite the pilots’ objections, believing they did not have enough operational information and aeronautical charts to land there.
The union representing pilots says pilots have been threatened with criminal charges if they do not comply, which the union says undermines the responsibility pilots should have for the safety of their planes.
I’m completely on the side of the pilots and the union here. It’s silly to me that a bomb threat that is an obvious hoax puts pilots in a situation where they don’t feel comfortable landing, with no alternatives offered.
What do you think of this Aer Lingus pilot situation?
Gn world
