Fourteen French regional airports were alerted to the blast on Friday and three were evacuated, sources said, disrupting French air traffic for a third straight day ahead of the school holidays.

According to sources at the airport, 14 regional platforms were targeted, two of which were evacuated, Bordeaux (southwest) and Béziers (south), France-Presse and Agerpres reported.

Several other airports received threatening messages, including the airport in Rennes (in the west), which was also evacuated “as a precaution”, according to public services.

For the third day in a row, such alarms are disrupting the work of some airports, and the Toussaint (All Saints’ Day) school holidays begin on Friday evening across France.

On Thursday evening, French Interior Minister Gérald Darmanen announced 18 arrests in the past 48 hours in connection with the warnings, which also target educational institutions or tourist sites.

These warnings multiplied over several days in France, especially after a jihadist attack in which Professor Dominique Bernard was killed in Arrasin the north of France.

The French government warned on Wednesday that every threat would be the subject of a complaint, with Justice Minister Eric Dupont-Moretti condemning “clowns who make fun of these threats, which in the end turn out to be false”.

Criminal punishment can reach two years of imprisonment and a fine of 30,000 euros.

• Seven airports in France were evacuated due to email threats
• Another 8 French airports were evacuated on Thursday due to bomb threats