In a chilling series of events, bomb threats were reported on 10 flights across the nation today (October 19), sending many passengers and authorities into a state of high alert and fear.
Among the affected flights, five belonged to Indigo Airlines, one of the country’s leading carriers. As of the latest reports, three of these Indigo flights have safely landed, while two are still mid-air, with emergency protocols in place.
The IndiGo flights receiving bomb threats include:
Flight 6E 17: Mumbai to Istanbul
Flight 6E 11: Delhi to Istanbul
Flight 6E 108: Hyderabad to Chandigarh
Flight 6E 58: Jeddah to Mumbai
Flight 6E 184: Jodhpur to Delhi
This wave of bomb threats follows a series of alarming incidents over the past week, causing a state of high alert.
Just hours before the threats to IndiGo flights, an Air India Express flight was also forced to make an emergency landing due to a bomb threat. Although it turned out to be a hoax but the recent series of incident of bomb threats in airlines are adding to growing concerns among individuals and authorities.
"Flight 6E 184, operating from Jodhpur to Delhi received a security-related alert. The aircraft has landed in Delhi and customers have disembarked the aircraft, we are coordination with the security agencies as per procedure. Ensuring the safety and security of our customers and crew remains paramount in all facets of our operations. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this situation may have caused our customers and appreciate their understanding," said IndiGo Airline in a statement.
"We are cognisant of a situation involving flight 6E 17 operating from Mumbai to Istanbul. 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," added the statement.
In a similar note, Akasa Air also received a bomb threat on October 19.
The timeline of threats includes
October 18 - An Air India flight from Dubai to Jaipur had to land at Jaipur International Airport after receiving a bomb threat, which was later deemed unfounded.
October 16- An Akasa Air flight from Delhi to Bengaluru declared an emergency in response to a similar threat, safely returning to IGI Airport.
October 15- An Air India flight heading from Delhi to Chicago was diverted to Canada after receiving a bomb threat, prompting thorough screening by authorities.
Vistara Airlines Also Affected
Vistara Airlines reported threats to three of its international flights operating from Delhi on October 18. Although these threats were later confirmed as hoaxes, the airline took all necessary precautions.
One flight was diverted to Frankfurt as a safety measure.
The surge in bomb threats more than 40 incidents reported in recent days.
