Faced with string of bomb hoaxes, France increases transport security

Security patrols in airports and on trains will be reinforced following a wave of bomb threats sent to airports and cultural centres. Transport minister Clement Beaune said the authors of the hoaxes are “playing with fear”.

Passengers outside the Toulouse-Blagnac Airport in Blagnac, southwestern France, on 18 October 2023, after the airport was evacuated following an emailed threat. © Charly Triballeau/AFP

France, which has been on its highest security alert since 13 October, since a young man stabled teacher Dominique Bernard to death at a school in northern France, will see increased security at Paris airports and in train stations.

"Transport [networks] have been places that have seen heavy tolls in attacks in the history of our country and in Europe," Beaune told France Inter public radio on Sunday.

He said security patrols at Paris airports will be increased by 40 percent and staff at the SNCF rail company will be reinforced by 20 percent, in addition to extra police patrols in train stations.

The bomb threats increase risk, he said, but the hoaxers are also "people who are playing with fear", he said.

Transport networks as well as schools, museums and cultural centres have been targeted with a wave a fake bomb alerts that have forced evacuations and shut down activity for hours at a time.

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The Versailles palace was evacuated on Sunday for security reasons for the seventh time in the last eight days.

Since last Wednesday, there have been 70 bomb hoaxes in airports in France, Beaune said, adding that almost all of these alerts were sent from the same Swiss-based email address.

He said that these hoaxes are “serious crimes” and they will be investigated. Authors of false alerts face up to three years in prison and a 45,000 euro fine.

(with Reuters)