New Delhi: An Air India flight AI119 from Mumbai to New York was diverted to Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Monday after the airline received a bomb threat.
The aircraft is currently stationed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport with all standard safety protocols being followed to ensure the safety of passengers and the crew on board, airport police said. The police further informed that the threat was received via social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
The flight to New York’s JFK airport took off from Mumbai at around 2 am and was diverted to Delhi soon after, showed flight tracking app FlightRadar24. Passengers were made to deplane at 4:10 am with instructions to leave their bags on board.
“The aircraft is currently stationed at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, and all standard safety protocols are being diligently followed to ensure the safety of the passengers and crew on board,” a senior police officer told.
Reacting to the news, an Air India spokesperson said: “Flight AI119 from Mumbai to JFK on October 14 received a specific security alert and on instructions of the government’s security regulatory committee was diverted to Delhi. All passengers have disembarked and are at the Delhi airport terminal. Our colleagues on ground are making sure to minimise the inconvenience caused to our guests by this unexpected disruption. Air India is committed to and accords top priority to the safety and security of its passengers and crew.”
The incident comes just days after an Air India Express Sharjah-bound flight from Tiruchirappalli experienced a mid-air technical glitch shortly after takeoff on Friday, forcing the plane to circle multiple times in the sky to reduce fuel and weight before landing safely.
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