After Air India flight receives bomb threat on social media, security alert raised for multiple flights!
Oct 14, 2024, 18:22 IST
Multiple posts on the social media platform X, allegedly from a terrorist group based in Pakistan, raised security alarms in Mumbai and Delhi on Monday morning. The posts claimed that an Air India flight from Mumbai to New York was carrying 6 kg of RDX and six terrorists, sparking immediate concern among airport authorities.
According to a senior airport security officer, at around 3:30 AM on Monday, Air India received two threatening messages on X from a user named Fazluddin Nirban. One message stated, "6 kg of RDX and our six terrorists are on your flight VT-AER AI 119 to New York. This flight will be hijacked in 20 minutes and blown up mid-air. Today, India will weep. Pakistan Zindabad."
The situation was promptly escalated to relevant authorities, and the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) was convened in both Mumbai and Delhi. By 3:55 AM, the threat was classified as "specific." The Air India flight was diverted to Delhi, where it safely landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport around 4 AM.
"We are investigating the origin of the threat, which has since been removed from the platform. No suspicious individuals or items have been found on the flight. We are also probing a similar threat involving Indigo flights received around the same time," the officer stated.
After the flight landed, all passengers were screened, and the plane underwent a comprehensive security check. "Following standard procedures, we thoroughly inspected the aircraft, and no suspicious items were discovered," said Usha Rangnani, DCP (Delhi Airport).
Flight AI119, which was en route from Mumbai to JFK on October 14, received a specific security alert and was diverted to Delhi on the orders of the government's security regulatory committee. All passengers disembarked safely and are currently at the Delhi airport terminal. "Our team is working to minimise the disruption caused to our guests. Air India prioritises the safety and security of its passengers and crew," said an Air India spokesperson.
"We confirm that all 239 passengers and 19 crew members have disembarked and are undergoing security checks. Refreshments have been provided, and guests will be accommodated in hotels once security protocols are completed. The flight has been rescheduled for the morning of October 15," the spokesperson added.
In addition, two Indigo flights departing from Mumbai to Muscat and Jeddah also received bomb threats on Monday morning. The aircraft were moved to isolated bays, and mandatory security inspections were swiftly carried out, as confirmed by an Indigo spokesperson.
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According to a senior airport security officer, at around 3:30 AM on Monday, Air India received two threatening messages on X from a user named Fazluddin Nirban. One message stated, "6 kg of RDX and our six terrorists are on your flight VT-AER AI 119 to New York. This flight will be hijacked in 20 minutes and blown up mid-air. Today, India will weep. Pakistan Zindabad."
The situation was promptly escalated to relevant authorities, and the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) was convened in both Mumbai and Delhi. By 3:55 AM, the threat was classified as "specific." The Air India flight was diverted to Delhi, where it safely landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport around 4 AM.
"We are investigating the origin of the threat, which has since been removed from the platform. No suspicious individuals or items have been found on the flight. We are also probing a similar threat involving Indigo flights received around the same time," the officer stated.
After the flight landed, all passengers were screened, and the plane underwent a comprehensive security check. "Following standard procedures, we thoroughly inspected the aircraft, and no suspicious items were discovered," said Usha Rangnani, DCP (Delhi Airport).
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"We confirm that all 239 passengers and 19 crew members have disembarked and are undergoing security checks. Refreshments have been provided, and guests will be accommodated in hotels once security protocols are completed. The flight has been rescheduled for the morning of October 15," the spokesperson added.
In addition, two Indigo flights departing from Mumbai to Muscat and Jeddah also received bomb threats on Monday morning. The aircraft were moved to isolated bays, and mandatory security inspections were swiftly carried out, as confirmed by an Indigo spokesperson.