UK transport minister: threats to European flights taken seriously

UK Transport Minister Heidi Alexander has said that Britain is taking threats to air travel seriously.

She noted that flights across Europe have been affected by malicious false reports of bombs on board aircraft.

According to Agence France-Presse, there have been 12 bomb alerts on flights in Europe since Thursday morning. Reuters reported that a passenger plane traveling from Dublin to Rome was diverted to a French airbase after a bomb threat was received.

The French prime minister's office announced it is closely monitoring the situation regarding the plane that was rerouted following the alert.