Air India mid-air bomb threat horror as aircraft forced into emergency landing | World | News
An Air India Express flight traveling from Mumbai to Varanasi had to make an emergency landing after receiving a bomb threat in the air on Wednesday. All 176 passengers and crew were evacuated safely and the aircraft was moved to the isolation bay for a full safety inspection.
Officials confirmed that a bomb squad was immediately deployed at the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi. The airline later released a statement assuring that “the flight landed safely and all guests disembarked.” The Air India Express spokesperson’s message continued: “One of our flights to Varanasi has received a security threat.
“In accordance with protocol, the Government-appointed Bomb Threat Assessment Committee was immediately alerted and all necessary security procedures were immediately initiated. The flight landed safely and all guests were deplaned.”
Officials added that the aircraft will return to service after mandatory checks are completed.
“The aircraft will be released for operations after all necessary security checks are completed,” the statement said.
The incident occurred after a separate bomb threat email was sent to IndiGo Airlines, triggering high alerts at several major Indian airports, including Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram and Hyderabad.
The email, received between 3:40 and 3:45 p.m., is being investigated by the government-appointed Bomb Threat Assessment Committee.
Initial findings suggested the threat was a hoax, but security protocols were activated without delay.
Indian aviation officials emphasized that both threats were handled according to international security standards.
Security measures have been increased at airports across the country and additional screening and surveillance have been implemented to reassure passengers.
While no explosives were found, authorities continue to trace the source of the threats.
Aviation experts say India, one of the world’s busiest air travel markets, has faced occasional security concerns in recent years, underscoring the importance of rapid response systems.
Passengers reported that the evacuation occurred in an orderly manner and that the crew calmly guided them through emergency procedures.
One traveler told local media: “It was scary at first but the staff put us at ease.”
