Four bomb threat calls received in quick succession at Delhi and Bengaluru airports forced aviation authorities ground three flights, including two international, sending a panic wave among fliers.
Four bomb threat calls received in quick succession at Delhi and Bengaluru airports forced aviation authorities ground three flights, including two international, sending a panic wave among fliers.
This is the second suc-h threat in the past 48 hours after the same Jet Airways flight bound for Kathmandu had received a bomb threat at New Delhi on Monday before take-off. Both the aircraft on Wednesday were thoroughly searched. Air India issued a statement late in the evening, saying another aircraft had been deployed for the flight to Kathmandu, which had taken off after receiving security clearance. Sources said the threat calls were likely to turn out to be another hoax.
According to news agencies, the two flights were halted after the Jet Airways security office at the New Delhi IGI Airport received an anonymous call saying there was a “bomb threat” to Air India flight AI-215 and Jet Airways flight 9W-260. The two flights were scheduled to take off for the Nepalese capital at 1.15 pm and 1.25 pm, respectively.
At the same time, budget carrier AirAsia India’s flight to Goa from Bengaluru, which was to fly 141 passengers and 4 infants, was also delayed following a similar bomb scare on its incoming flight from Jaipur.
According to AirAsia, its incoming flight I5-1721 to Jaipur from Bengaluru recei-ved a specific bomb threat on arrival at Bengaluru after all 164 passengers on board with 1 infant deplaned. The flight was scheduled to depart for Goa at 12:30 hours.
This is the second such incident of grounding of an aircraft due to a bomb scare as on Monday the same flight of Jet Airways was delayed by six hours due to the grounding of the plane after a bomb threat call, which turned out to be a hoax.
In a statement, Air India said, “AI 215 Delhi – Kathmandu, which was delayed due to bomb threat took off at 1950 hours with a change in aircraft after security clearances. Earlier today, Flight AI-215 was evacuated and all 121 passengers were taken to the terminal as aircraft was at the bay area for security check up.”
Jet Airways said it had 122 passengers and seven crew on board its flight 9W 260, according to the reports.
The two aircraft were taken to the isolation bay, where security personnel from bomb disposal squad carried out an extensive search of the baggage and check-in luggage of the passengers, sources were cited as saying.
“Jet Airways flight 9W 260, scheduled to depart from Delhi for Kathmandu at 13.25 hrs, has been delayed due to a security alert. All 122 guests and 7 crew have been taken to the departures waiting area at the airport,” Jet Airways was quoted as saying earlier in a statement.
At the same time, budget carrier AirAsia India’s flight to Goa from Bengaluru, which was to fly 141 passengers and 4 infants, was also delayed following a similar bomb scare on its incoming flight from Jaipur.
According to AirAsia India, its incoming flight I5-1721 to Jaipur from Bengaluru received a specific bomb threat on arrival at Bengaluru after all 164 passengers on board with 1 infant deplaned. The flight was scheduled to depart for Goa at 12:30 hours.
