More than a dozen French airports have been hit with bomb threats for the third day in a row, media in the country is reporting.
As of writing, 15 airports have received such threats, with schools and museums in the country also said to have been affected.
According to a report by Le Parisien, airports in Rennes, Lille, Beauvais, Tarbes, Nantes, Béziers, Pau, Brest, Toulouse, Lyon-Bron, Bordeaux, Biarritz, Carcassonne, Nice and Haut-Rhin have all been impacted.
Of them, three were evacuated, with authorities in France growing frustrated that some scares have been false.
“We don’t need this,” justice minister Eric Dupond-Moretti said regarding those, announcing that 18 people – most of them under 18 – had been arrested.
At least 12 airports around France and Belgium have been hit by bomb scares, authorities have confirmed. https://t.co/8F8SAc0Ujd
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) October 18, 2023
He went on to warn those “little jokers, little clowns” responsible that they would be caught and punished by the French state.
“We don’t need troublemakers, psychosis, at this moment,” Dupond-Moretti said.
Thomas Juin, the president of the French Airports Union, warned of the serious financial impact false scares could have in the long term.
“People who give false bomb threats need to realise that this is not a game,” he said, adding that the fallout had been felt both in “financial and security terms”.
🌍 For security reasons, the Palace of Versailles is evacuating visitors and will reopen as soon as the checks have been completed. Thank you for your understanding. pic.twitter.com/4GxhQ7bMgh
— Château de Versailles (@CVersailles) October 20, 2023
At least one arrest has been made in relation to the various threats levelled at the Palace of Versailles.
Evacuated again on October 20 after yet another bomb scare, police said they had now detained a 37-year-old man over the incident.
Law enforcement officers were able to identify him via the phone used to make the threats against the historic palace.
He is described as being unemployed, depressed and having at least one psychiatric disorder.
Ryanair is facing challenges at both ends of its price range, with Europe’s largest airline taking aim at proposed minimum fares in France after fending off a cap on what it charges in Italy. https://t.co/MivHbxjOPM
— Brussels Signal (@brusselssignal) October 19, 2023
