Mumbai-London Air India flight faces bomb scare one hour before landing

Air India London flight declares emergency after bomb threat

An Air India flight from Mumbai to London declared an emergency on Thursday after receiving a bomb threat. This incident is part of a troubling trend, as five Air India flights, along with two Vistara and two IndiGo flights, reported similar threats today, contributing to a total of 20 such incidents over the past four days.

The Air India flight, AI129, took off at 7:05 AM IST and was scheduled to land at Heathrow Airport at 12:05 PM UK time. Approximately an hour before landing, the Boeing 777 began “squawking 7700,” an emergency code used by pilots to alert air traffic controllers to a general emergency. Flight tracking data showed the aircraft circling over East England before safely landing at Heathrow.

In a separate incident, a Vistara flight arriving from Frankfurt was taken to an isolation bay upon landing in Mumbai after receiving a bomb threat via social media. The airline confirmed that all relevant authorities were informed and safety checks were conducted promptly.

An IndiGo flight from Istanbul to Mumbai also faced a bomb threat, resulting in isolation upon landing. The airline reported that all passengers were safely disembarked and standard operating procedures were followed.

Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu has assured that the situation is being closely monitored and emphasized the government’s commitment to maintaining high-security standards. In response to the surge in threats, authorities are considering measures to prevent hoaxes, including adding offenders to an “Unruly Passengers” list and imposing travel bans.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has instructed the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) to remain vigilant at airports, as the investigation into the bomb threats continues.

For all the latest updates, download PGurus App.

The post Mumbai-London Air India flight faces bomb scare one hour before landing appeared first on PGurus.