A Mumbai-bound Vistara flight with 147 persons on board made an emergency landing on Wednesday upon its arrival from Frankfurt in Germany following a bomb threat to the aircraft, the airline said in a statement on Thursday. The Boeing 787 aircraft was immediately taken to the isolation bay for mandatory security checks. The flight landed safely at 7.45 am.
"Vistara flight UK 028 operating from Frankfurt to Mumbai on 16 October 2024 was subject to a security threat received on social media. As per protocol, all relevant authorities were immediately informed. The aircraft safely landed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai and was taken to the isolation bay where all customers were disembarked," read the statement. "We are fully cooperating with the security agencies to complete the mandatory security checks," it added.
Although the airline did not mention about the number of passengers, news agency PTI sources claimed there were 134 people and 13 crew members on board.
Bomb threats
As many as seven flights received bomb threats on Wednesday taking the number of flights impacted to 19 in three days, with the Union government asserting that the law enforcement agencies are actively pursuing all cases and the Mumbai Police arresting a minor for issuing threats to three flights.
Some flights were delayed, diverted and returned mid-way in the wake of bomb threats received through social media, sending security agencies into a tizzy. The Delhi Police has registered an FIR in connection with bomb threats to several flights in the last two days and has launched a probe.
Bomb threats were received by at least three IndiGo flights, two SpiceJet flights and an Akasa Air flight on Wednesday. IndiGo's Riyadh-Mumbai flight was diverted to Muscat due to the threat.
Law enforcement agencies are actively pursuing all cases of bomb threats: Aviation minister
Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Wednesday said law enforcement agencies are actively pursuing all cases of bomb threats against airlines and the government is closely monitoring the situation. With at least 19 flights operated by Indian carriers receiving bomb threats in three days that later turned out to be hoax, he also said the Mumbai police have arrested a minor responsible for issuing bomb threats targeting three flights.
"All others responsible for the disruptions will be identified and duly prosecuted," the minister said in a statement as he strongly condemned any attempt to compromise the safety, security and operational integrity of the aviation sector.
The issue of multiple hoax threat messages to various airlines came up before a parliamentary committee on Wednesday. On Wednesday afternoon, a Bengaluru-bound Akasa Air flight carrying 184 people returned to Delhi following a bomb threat.
(With inputs from agencies)
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