A series of bomb threats impacted India’s flight operations, with a total of 10 flights having been grounded in less than 48 hours after receiving, what is said to be, hoax threats.
An Air India direct flight from New Delhi to Chicago was diverted to Iqaluit Airport in Canada on Tuesday following a hoax bomb threat which was posted online.
Significantly, the incident involving the Air India plane making an abrupt landing in the Arctic city of Iqaluit, came less than a day after Canada and India expelled senior diplomats in a widening feud between the two countries.
Media reports, citing media release from Royal Canadian Mounted police, said the Air India flight’s 211 crew and passengers disembarked at the Iqaluit airport some 300km (186 miles) north of the Arctic Circle.
According to local media in Iqaluit, an “unspecified bomb threat from a person in India to Air India” was relayed to the flight’s captain.
In a statement posted on X, Air India said: “The aircraft and the passengers are being re-screened as per the laid down security protocols. Air India has activated agencies at the airport to assist the passengers until such time that their journey can resume.”
Bomb threats on IndiGo
Bomb threats also impacted an IndiGo flight from Dammam to Lucknow.
“We are cognisant of a situation involving flight 6E 98 from Dammam, Saudi Arabia, to Lucknow.
“The safety and security of our passengers and crew is our highest priority and we are working closely with the relevant authorities and taking all necessary precautions as per the guidelines,” IndiGo said after the flight was grounded following a fake bomb threat.
IndiGo also reported threats were made against its flight bound for Muscat in Oman.
Multiple bomb threats
In another such incident, Singapore’s air force mobilised two fighter jets late on Tuesday in response to a bomb threat on an Air India Express flight bound for the city-state from the southern Indian city of Madurai.
“Two Singapore Air Force F-15SG jets scrambled and escorted Air India flight AXB684 away from populated areas after the airline received an email that there was a bomb on board its plane,” Singapore’s Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen said in a Facebook post.
Other flight services involved in similar fake bomb threats included Ayodhya-Bengaluru Air India Express, a SpiceJet flight from Darbhanga to Mumbai (SG116), an Akasa Air flight from Bagdogra to Bengaluru (QP 1373), and an Alliance Air Amritsar-Dehradun-Delhi flight (9I 650).
Yesterday, two IndiGo and one Air India flight also received fake threats.
India’s flagship carrier said it and other airlines had been subject to “a number of threats” in recent days.
On Monday, an Air India flight from Mumbai to New York was diverted to Delhi after a false bomb threat.
Follow us on
