U.S. Flight Diverted To Shannon Airport After ‘Bomb Message’ Found In Toilets

A transatlantic flight diverted to Shannon Airport this afternoon following a bomb threat on board, the Irish Times reports.

The United Airlines flight was traveling from Rome to Chicago when a mayday was called at around 12.45pm following the discovery of a message in the toilets claiming there was a bomb on board.

The flight, UA-971, landed safely at around 1.42pm before emergency procedures were carried out on the ground. Four units from Shannon Fire Brigade attended the scene as well as members of the armed Garda Regional Support Unit.

There were 214 passengers on board the plane and handwriting samples were taken at Shannon Airport to ascertain who may have written the message. An airline spokesperson said that they 'will work to get passengers on their way to Chicago as quickly as possible.'