2 Mumbai-Bound Flights Receive Bomb Threats

Mumbai: The spate of Indian airlines receiving threats continued on Thursday as two Mumbai-bound flights from Frankfurt and Istanbul received bomb threats hampering operations at the Mumbai Airport. The flights were moved to isolation bay and security forces are conducting necessary checks

Putting the Mumbai airport on high alert, Vistara’s Frankfurt-Mumbai flight with 147 persons onboard received a threat on Thursday. The Boeing 787 aircraft had departed for Mumbai from Frankfurt on Wednesday at 8.20 pm (local time) and it made an emergency landing at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at around 7.45 am on Thursday

“Vistara flight UK 028 operating from Frankfurt to Mumbai on October 16 was subject to a security threat received on social media. As per protocol, all relevant authorities were immediately informed. The aircraft safely landed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai and was taken to the isolation bay where all customers disembarked. We are fully cooperating with the security agencies to complete the mandatory security checks,” Vistara’s spokesperson said.

Similarly, IndiGo’s Istanbul-Mumbai flight also received a bomb threat and was taken to an isolation bay at the airport for security checks.

“Flight 6E 18, operating from Istanbul to Mumbai, received a security-related alert. Upon landing, 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,” IndiGo said in a statement.

Indian flights have recently been facing bomb scares both on the international and domestic routes. On October 14, three international flights from Mumbai were affected due to similar threats, with one being diverted to Delhi. A London-bound Air India aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing. Hours before, two other Indigo flights operating on the Mumbai-Muscat and Mumbai-Jeddah sectors had also received bomb threats.