IndiGo Mumbai-Delhi flight diverted to Ahmedabad after bomb threat; turns out hoax

A Delhi-bound IndiGo aircraft from Mumbai was diverted to Ahmedabad after receiving a bomb threat, which later turned out to be a hoax, officials said on Wednesday. The aircraft was isolated, and all passengers were safely disembarked. After a thorough checking, nothing suspicious was found and the the flight took-off for Delhi on Wednesday morning, they said.

Soon after the flight took-off from Mumbai on Tuesday night, an unidentified person, through a tweet, claimed a bomb had been placed in the aircraft which was carrying nearly 200 passengers and crew, an official from the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport here said.

After being alerted by the Mumbai ATC, the pilots decided to make an emergency landing at Ahmedabad airport, which was the closest airport when the flight was en-route to Delhi, said the official.

"After landing here during midnight, the aircraft, carrying nearly 200 passengers and crew, was thoroughly checked by the security agencies overnight. However, nothing suspicious was found. The flight took-off for Delhi at around 8 am today after getting a green signal from the security personnel," the official said.

In a statement, IndiGo said flight 6E 651, operating from Mumbai to Delhi, was redirected to Ahmedabad due to a "security-related alert".

"The aircraft was isolated, and all passengers were safely disembarked. Ensuring the safety and security of our customers and crew remains paramount in all facets of our operations. We worked closely with the relevant authorities, and standard operating procedures were followed," it said. "We sincerely regret any inconvenience this situation may have caused our customers and appreciate their understanding," the airline added.

Notably, several flights have received similar hoax bomb threats in the last few days. An Akasa Air flight en-route to Bengaluru returned to New Delhi on Wednesday afternoon following a bomb threat, according to sources.

On Monday, three international flights originating from Mumbai received bomb threats. While a New York-bound Air India flight was diverted to New Delhi and rescheduled, the other two, both operated by IndiGo, were delayed by several hours.

Nothing suspicious was found on any of the planes, police officials had said.

On Tuesday, an Air India plane carrying 211 people from Delhi to Chicago was diverted to an airport in Canada on Tuesday following a bomb threat, according to officials.

Apart from Air India's Delhi-Chicago flight, six other Indian flights on Tuesday received bomb threat messages through a social media handle.

Singapore Armed Forces on Tuesday scrambled two fighter jets to escort an Air India Express plane away from populated areas following a bomb threat before the aircraft landed safely at Singapore's Changi airport.

The Air India Express plane operating flight IX 684 from Madurai to Singapore had received a bomb threat.