An Akasa Air flight bound for Bengaluru returned to New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Wednesday due to a “security alert,” the airline stated.
Flight QP 1335 was carrying 174 passengers, including three infants, and seven crew members.
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“The Akasa Air Emergency Response teams are monitoring the situation and have advised the pilot to divert the flight to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi as a precaution,” said the airline spokesperson.
The airline noted that the flight captain followed all necessary emergency protocols to ensure a safe landing in Delhi.
Akasa Air added that it remains in constant coordination with local authorities. “Our teams are on the ground and prepared to assist all passengers to ensure their safety and comfort,” the airline stated.
IndiGo flight receives bomb threat, diverted to Ahmedabad
On Wednesday, an IndiGo flight also faced a bomb threat, marking the second such incident for the airline in two days. The Mumbai-Delhi flight was diverted to Ahmedabad, where passengers disembarked after the aircraft was isolated, according to an IndiGo spokesperson.
The spokesperson emphasised that the safety and security of passengers and crew are top priorities.
On Tuesday, three flights received bomb threats — two from IndiGo and one from Air India.
The latest incident follows bomb threat messages sent via social media to seven flights on Tuesday, including one bound for the United States. This prompted security agencies to conduct counter-terrorism drills at multiple airports, according to official sources.
10 flights receive bomb threats in 2 days
In the past 48 hours, ten flights, including an Air India plane with 211 passengers travelling from Delhi to Chicago, received bomb threats via social media. This led security agencies to implement counter-terrorism drills at several airports.
The bomb threats impacted various flights, such as Air India Express IX765 from Jaipur to Bengaluru via Ayodhya, SpiceJet SG116 from Darbhanga to Mumbai, Akasa Air QP1373 from Bagdogra to Bengaluru, Air India AI127 from Delhi to Chicago, IndiGo 6E98 from Dammam (Saudi Arabia) to Lucknow, Alliance Air 9I650 from Amritsar to Dehradun, and Air India Express IX684 from Madurai to Singapore.
In response to a bomb threat against Air India Express flight IX684, Singapore deployed two F-15 fighter jets to escort the aircraft away from densely populated areas. The flight landed safely at Singapore Changi Airport around 10:04 PM on Tuesday, and investigations are ongoing.
Bomb threats to Indian flights:
>A SpiceJet flight landed safely at Mumbai Airport and was moved to an isolation zone for inspection.
>An Akasa Air flight with a bomb threat landed safely at Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.
>An Air India flight was diverted to Iqaluit Airport in Canada due to an online security threat.
IndiGo Flight 6E98, travelling from Dammam to Lucknow, was redirected to Jaipur Airport after a bomb threat.
>Alliance Air followed safety protocols for its Amritsar-Dehradun-Delhi flight, currently undergoing security checks at Dehradun Airport.
>An Air India Express flight from Madurai to Singapore awaits landing approval from Singaporean authorities.
>On Monday, bomb threats targeting three international flights from Mumbai originated from four different accounts.
>The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) is collaborating with Indian cyber-security agencies and law enforcement to identify those behind these threats.
(With agency inputs)
First Published: Oct 16 2024 | 3:11 PM IST