Jodhpur: Air India passenger held for bomb threat

New Delhi: A male passenger on an Air India flight claiming to be an officer from one of the three services threatened that he had planted a bomb in the aircraft after his request to suddenly disembark at Jodhpur was turned down by both airline staff and security personnel at the Jodhpur airport. 

The passenger had purchased a ticket for Jaipur. The aircraft was flying on the Delhi-Jodhpur-Jaipur sector. The passenger was handed over to authorities at Jodhpur for his misbehaviour and threat.

When the aircraft (flight AI-475) with 175 passengers on board landed at Jodhpur, the passenger demanded that he wanted to disembark at Jodhpur, instead of Jaipur, but his request was turned down by the Air India crew as it was against rules. The flight had taken off at 12.53 pm on Sunday from New Delhi and landed at Jodhpur at about 2.05 pm.

According to an Air India official, the man then demanded to be allowed to meet security personnel at Jodhpur airport but they too turned down the request. It was then that the passenger reportedly made the threat, following which the aircraft was searched by the bomb-disposal squad. 

All passengers were asked to alight from the aircraft at Jodhpur, following which it was thoroughly searched by authorities as per rules. The claim was declared a hoax and the alleged offender was handed over to authorities for necessary action.