Hoax Bomb Threats Ground 10 Flights, Air India Flight Diverted to Canada

In the last 48 hours, 10 flights have been grounded due to fake bomb threats, causing major disruptions. The latest case involved an Air India flight from New Delhi to Chicago, which was forced to land at a remote airport in Canada after a bomb threat was posted online.

Air India Flight Diverted

Flight AI127, which was flying from New Delhi to Chicago, had to divert to Iqaluit Airport in Canada due to the bomb threat. The plane, a Boeing 777, took off from Delhi at 3:00 AM (IST) and was supposed to land in Chicago at 7:00 AM (US time). Instead, as a safety measure, it landed in Canada at around 5:38 PM (IST). The passengers and the plane are currently undergoing security checks before the flight can continue.

Air India released a statement confirming the diversion and said, "Flight AI127 from Delhi to Chicago on October 15, 2024, was the subject of a security threat posted online, and has landed at Iqaluit Airport in Canada as a precaution."

Other Flights Affected

In addition to the Air India flight, six other flights today received bomb threats, which led to them being grounded. These include:

- An IndiGo flight from Dammam to Lucknow

- An Air India Express flight from Ayodhya to Bengaluru

- A SpiceJet flight from Darbhanga to Mumbai (SG116)

- An Akasa Air flight from Bagdogra to Bengaluru (QP 1373)

- An Alliance Air flight from Amritsar to Dehradun and Delhi (9I 650)

- An Air India Express flight from Madurai to Singapore (IX 684)

Yesterday, three other flights—two by IndiGo and one by Air India—also received fake bomb threats, causing further disruptions. One of the affected flights was Air India AI119, flying from Mumbai to New York, which was diverted to New Delhi for security checks.

Airlines Respond

All airlines involved took immediate safety steps following the fake bomb threats. Planes were taken to isolated bays, passengers were safely evacuated, and security checks were conducted.

IndiGo confirmed that safety is their top priority, saying, "We are working closely with authorities and following all necessary precautions." SpiceJet, which had a flight grounded in Mumbai, also reported that security checks were carried out before the plane was cleared to fly again.

Akasa Air’s flight from Bagdogra to Bengaluru landed safely after receiving a security alert, with the plane undergoing checks before being released for further operations.

Investigation Underway

The fake bomb threats were posted from an unverified account on X (formerly Twitter). The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) is investigating these incidents. Though the threats have caused financial losses for the airlines, they are continuing to follow strict security protocols to ensure passenger safety.

Authorities are now trying to track down the source of these hoax threats while ensuring that safety procedures are maintained on all flights.