“Investigating”: Aviation Body After Bomb Threats To 20 Flights In Under 48 Hours

After ten planes received bomb threats in less than 48 hours, causing one of them to be diverted to a remote airport in Canada, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has said that it is investigating the episode. Officials said Tuesday’s threats were issued from an unverified handle on X, formerly Twitter. 

Seven flights, including one bound for the United States, were affected on Tuesday after the threats were issued from an X handle which began posting on the social media platform in the afternoon.

Air India Flight AI 127 from Delhi to Chicago was diverted to the Iqaluit airport in Canada after the threat. 

Air India said the flight, which took off from Delhi at 3 am, landed at the Iqaluit airport as a precautionary measure after it became the “subject of a security threat”.

“The aircraft and passengers are being re-screened as per the laid down security protocol. Air India has activated agencies at the airport to assist the passengers until such time that their journey can resume,” the airline said.

IndiGo flight 6E 98 from Damman in Saudi Arabia to Lucknow made an emergency landing in Jaipur after the bomb threat. 

“We are cognisant of a situation involving flight 6E 98 from Dammam 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 guideline,” an IndiGo spokesperson said.

The third flight that was affected was headed from Jaipur to Ayodhya. Air India Express flight IX 765 made an emergency landing in Ayodhya around 2 pm. 

An Akasa Air flight from Bagdogra to Bengaluru (QP 1373), an Akasa Air flight from Bagdogra to Bengaluru (QP 1373), an Alliance Air Amritsar-Dehradun-Delhi flight (9I 650) and an Air India Express flight (IX 684) from Madurai to Singapore also received similar threats, sources said.

On Monday, three international flights – two operated by IndiGo and one by Air India – from Mumbai had received bomb threats, which later turned out to be hoaxes.  Air India flight AI119, scheduled to fly from Mumbai to New York’s JFK Airport, made an emergency landing in New Delhi.

Senior officials from an airline told NDTV that such hoax calls have a strong impact on finances but they have no option but to take them seriously.