On Monday itself, a total of three flights have received bomb threats which includes two Indigo and one Air India aircraft. All the three threats have been received by the Mumbai originating flights among which Air India flight has been diverted. The Air India AI119 flight that was supposed to reach John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York had departed from Mumbai but the aircraft received a specific security alert and according to instructions of the Government Security regulatory committee, it was diverted mid-air to Delhi due to security concerns.
Talking about the Mumbai-New York flight, DCP IGI, Usha Rangnani said that the threat was received from a tweet on the social media platform X. The post read
“An Air India flight operating from Mumbai to New York was diverted to Delhi following a security concern arising out of a bomb threat. The aircraft is currently stationed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport and all standard safety protocols are being diligently followed to ensure the safety of passengers and crew on board,”
Air india spokesperson released this statement in which it said:
“All passengers have disembarked and are at the Delhi airport terminal. Our colleagues on ground are making sure to minimise the inconvenience caused to our guests by this unexpected disruption. Air India is committed to and accords top priority to the safety and security of its passengers and crew.”
Meanwhile, the Indigo flights 6E 1275 and 6E56 that were both scheduled to fly from Mumbai to Muscat and Jeddah respectively were affected due to receiving security threats followed by which immediate measures were taken. According to Indigo spokesperson, both the flights were taken to an isolated area at the Mumbai Airport where they went through security checks following standard operating procedures.
However, the Indigo flight 6E 1275, was given clearance to resume its journey after all the checkups. It was supposed to fly at 2:00 a.m. but got delayed due to security checks and finally departed at 9:00 a.m. and is expected to reach the destination around 9:45 a.m. local time. The investigation is still going on to determine if all the three threats were hoaxes. As of now, the 6E56 is still stationed at the Mumbai Airport just like the AI119.