Bomb scare on Mumbai - Thiruvananthapuram Air India flight turns out to be a hoax
Thiruvananthapuram: Passengers on the Air India flight from Mumbai to Thiruvananthapuram endured a distressing ordeal on Thursday after a bomb threat, scribbled on a tissue paper, was discovered in the washroom.
The Thiruvananthapuram police, after conducting a thorough inspection along with security personnel, declared the bomb threat a hoax. No explosives or suspicious objects were found on the aircraft during the search.
The security alert issued at the airport in the morning was retracted at approximately 12:10 pm, and all 135 passengers who were on the flight were permitted to depart at 12:45 pm. The city police are currently investigating the incident.
Early in the morning, the aircraft's pilot notified the authorities of a bomb threat at 7:30 am as the plane approached Thiruvananthapuram airport. Following the alert, a full emergency was declared at the airport by 7:36 am.
Immediately after the aircraft, with 135 passengers on board, landed at the airport around 8 am, it was moved to an isolation bay. After evacuating all passengers, security personnel, including the bomb detection squad, conducted a thorough search of the aircraft for any explosive devices or suspicious objects. Meanwhile, the passengers had to wait at the airport for their luggage.
Air India authorities said that a specific security alert was identified on flight AI 657 during its cruise from Mumbai to Thiruvananthapuram. The crew executed all prescribed security procedures with passenger safety as the utmost priority.
All passengers and crew disembarked safely. Air India gives the highest priority to the safety of its passengers and crew, they said.