An Air India flight from Mumbai to New York was diverted to Delhi on Monday due to a bomb threat, The Indian Express reported.
Two other IndiGo flights also received bomb threats ahead of their departure during the day, reported ANI.
The threat to Air India flight AI119 originated from a post on the social media platform X, Usha Rangnani, deputy commissioner of police, Indira Gandhi International Airport, said. “All standard safety protocols are being diligently followed to ensure the safety of passengers and crew on board,” she added.
Air India confirmed that the flight was diverted in response to a “specific security alert”.
“Flight AI119 operating Mumbai to JFK [John F Kennedy International Airport in New York] on October 14 received a specific security alert and, on instructions of the government’s security regulatory committee, was diverted to Delhi,” The Indian Express quoted an unidentified Air India spokesperson as saying.
“All passengers have disembarked and are at the Delhi airport terminal,” the spokesperson added. “Our colleagues on ground are making sure to minimise the inconvenience caused to our guests by this unexpected disruption.”
The Boeing 777 aircraft departed from Mumbai at 2.27 am and landed in Delhi at around 4.10 am, the newspaper reported.
Later on Monday, the two Indigo flights – 6E 1275 from Mumbai to Muscat and 6E 56 from Mumbai to Jeddah – received the bomb threats shortly before their scheduled departure. Following this, the flights were taken to an isolated bay for security inspections.
Indian carriers have received several fake bomb threats in recent months.
On September 6, a Vistara flight from Mumbai to Frankfurt was diverted to Erzurum in Turkey after a note with a bomb threat was found in its lavatory, reported The Indian Express. Although the threat was a hoax, passengers were stranded for nearly 24 hours.
Mumbai-Howrah train gets bomb threat
Earlier on Monday, a train travelling from Mumbai to Howrah also received a call about a bomb onboard, ANI reported.
The threat call was received on train number 12809 at around 4 am, the chief public relations officer, Central Railways, said.
After authorities received the call, the train was halted at the Jalgaon Railway Station in Maharashtra and security checks were conducted, according to ANI. It departed after no suspicious object was found.
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!