Mumbai: An Air India flight from Mumbai to New York was diverted mid-air to Delhi early Monday due to a security concern following a bomb threat. The aircraft is currently stationed at Indira Gandhi International Airport, where all standard safety protocols are being followed to ensure the safety of passengers and crew, according to Delhi police.
The flight, which departed from Mumbai around 2 am, was rerouted to Delhi soon after the bomb threat emerged. Authorities have not yet provided further details on the nature of the threat or any ongoing investigations.
An Air India flight operating from Mumbai to New York was diverted to Delhi following a security concern arising out of bomb threat. The aircraft is currently stationed at the IGI Airport, and all standard safety protocols are being followed to ensure the safety of passengers and…
— ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2024
Similar Incident Reported Last Month
This incident follows a similar one that occurred last month when Mumbai International Airport received a bomb threat. On September 4, a caller from an unknown number warned about a bomb on the 2:05 pm flight from Mumbai to Srinagar.
The airline responded immediately by deboarding passengers and conducting thorough checks. After a comprehensive search, the threat was determined to be a hoax and the flight was eventually allowed to continue.
The Sahar police registered an FIR and launched an investigation in the matter. According to the FIR, the call was received by a customer support executive, Yamini Bandekar, at Mumbai International Airport Limited’s (MIAL) contact centre.
She quickly alerted the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee and other relevant authorities. Security agencies and police launched search operations but found nothing suspicious on board, confirming the threat was false.
Call Traced To Kerala
The call was traced to Kerala and it is suspected that the caller’s intent may have been to disrupt the travel plans of family members or relatives on the flight. However, the precise motive will only be clear once the caller is apprehended. An FIR has been lodged under Section 353(1)(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita for making statements conducive to public mischief.
Due to the hoax, the Mumbai-Srinagar flight was delayed by half an hour, but no further disruptions occurred. The police have not yet revealed the name of the airline or the specific flight targeted in the threat.
