It was a threatening email from a terrorist group, received this Wednesday morning at Carcassonne-Salvaza airport, which paralyzed air traffic in Aude. 150 passengers bound for London were evacuated around 1:30 p.m. and their flight canceled. The Montpellier mine clearance services were called in for reinforcements.
Flights diverted or delayed, terminals evacuated, at least 11 French airports, including Lille, Lyon, Nantes, Nice, Toulouse, Beauvais and Carcassonne were victims of false bomb alerts or threats this Wednesday. This caused significant disruptions to air traffic.
The two Paris airports, Orly and Charles-de-Gaulle, were not affected.
Carcassonne airport was in turn evacuated at 1:30 p.m. after receiving a threatening email, Cyril Dall’Ava, its deputy general director, told AFP. Email sent by a terrorist group claiming to be a member of the Islamic State organization.
150 travelers, mainly British, who were waiting for a RyanAir flight to London were evacuated and had to wait in the airport parking lot.
They closed the airport at 1:30 p.m., just as we were arriving to catch our plane. We got stuck in the parking lot. And we realized there was a bomb threat.
An English tourist stranded at Carcassonne airport.
Carcassonne – air traffic paralyzed due to a bomb threat, passengers waiting in the parking lot – October 18, 2023. • © FTV
But air traffic was suspended and ultimately their diverted plane never arrived in Carcassonne. Many will have to spend the night there and are expected to leave Thursday morning.
“It’s an endless day. My suitcases are in the terminal and I can’t get them back. My father, who came to take me here and left, turned around to come pick me up. And tomorrow, he will come and take me back…” explains a French woman hoping to leave for London.
A mine clearance dog, from Montpellier, secured the airport area in the afternoon. Fortunately, he found nothing unusual.
Air traffic resumed this evening at all French airports according to the DGAC.
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