Bomb Threats Cause Evacuations at Multiple French Airports

Many French airports still evacuated on Thursday after bomb threats

On Thursday morning, fourteen French airports received new terrorist threat alerts, and at least eight of them carried out evacuations after bomb threats. This caused a second consecutive day of significant disruptions in air operations. On Wednesday, most major French airports, except for the two in Paris, were temporarily evacuated following threats, leading to the cancellation of 130 flights and numerous delays.

“Anonymous threat”

These alerts have been increasing in France for several days, particularly since the attack that claimed the life of teacher Dominique Bernard in Arras, Pas-de-Calais. According to a source close to the matter, the evacuations on Thursday affected Brest (Finistère), Carcassonne (Aude), Rennes (Ille-et-Vilaine), Tarbes (Hautes-Pyrénées), Bordeaux-Mérignac (Gironde), Béziers (Hérault), Montpellier (Hérault), and Nantes (Loire-Atlantique) airports.

The French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC), when contacted by AFP, confirmed that “several national airports, including Nantes, received terrorist threats this morning,” without providing specific numbers or names due to the changing situation. Some airports themselves also communicated on the subject. Lille Airport announced on X (formerly Twitter) in the late morning that it was carrying out an “evacuation due to a bomb threat,” and half an hour later, they reported the “end of the alert,” along with the “progressive reopening of the airport.”

Beauvais Airport in Oise, which was already evacuated on Wednesday, was again evacuated on Thursday “due to an anonymous threat received by several airports,” including this low-cost flight facility, as stated by the manager on their website.

“The Nantes Airport was once again subject to a bomb threat on Thursday morning, as were other French airports,” the airport stated to AFP. “In agreement with the authorities, the terminal is being evacuated to conduct necessary checks.” Tarbes-Lourdes and Carcassonne airports also confirmed to AFP that they were evacuated following new bomb threats.

Systematic filing of complaints

The Béziers-Cap d’Agde Airport is also affected by a bomb threat, as stated by the Hérault prefecture to AFP, without providing further details. In Montpellier, a “bomb alert” was also ongoing, according to Hérault prefect Francois-Xavier Lauch on X in the late morning. “Evacuation and security measures in place, law enforcement present to establish a security perimeter, bomb disposal teams activated for clarification,” added Francois-Xavier Lauch on the social network. “It had little impact on travelers, as there was only one scheduled flight to London, in late morning,” stated Sylvain Jambon, spokesperson for the airport, to AFP.

The alert at Bordeaux-Mérignac was lifted in the early afternoon, and the airport operator announced on its website that “airport activities are gradually resuming.” “It has a significant disruptive power, but well, we take zero risk. Regardless of the level of vigilance, as a public facility, we have procedures in place. Once there is a bomb threat, it’s a total evacuation, zero risk,” explained Sophie Vergnères, spokesperson for the facility, to AFP. On Wednesday, “we evacuated for three hours, with around a dozen canceled flights and a dozen delayed,” she added, without being able to assess the immediate economic impact.

A police source told AFP that Nantes, Bordeaux, Lille, and Nice airports had received terrorist threats via email. When contacted by AFP, the latter airport stated that no evacuation was underway, contrary to what some media had reported.

“Organized false alerts are dangerous and unacceptable. They are heavily penalized: up to two years in prison and a €30,000 fine,” emphasized Clément Beaune, Minister Delegate for Transport, on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday evening. “Each case is the subject of a complaint filed by the airport, as I have requested from the DGAC. The judiciary is involved,” he warned.