A flight from Kochi to Delhi was forced to make an emergency landing at Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagpur on Tuesday following a mid-air bomb threat.
The IndiGo flight 6E 2706 departed from the Cochin International Airport in Kerala for Delhi at 9.20 AM, and midair, it received a bomb threat and was diverted to Nagpur Airport. All passengers have been safely evacuated. An investigation is ongoing.
According to initial reports, airline authorities received information suggesting that a bomb had been planted on board. In line with safety protocols, the flight was diverted and landed safely in Nagpur.
The Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) promptly arrived and began a thorough search of the aircraft. All passengers were safely evacuated, and the plane was moved to an isolated area for inspection.
Security at the airport has been heightened, with the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and local police actively investigating the origin of the threat.
The incident comes amid a series of flight disruptions, including diversions and emergency landings due to a range of issues, raising concerns over passenger safety, particularly in the wake of the tragic Ahmedabad Air India plane crash on June 12.
The AI171 flight crash claimed the lives of 272 people, including 241 people onboard. Only one person named Ramesh Vishwas survived the accident miraculously with minor injuries.
Renamed Ahmedabad-London Air India flight cancelled
Air India's newly renamed flight AI-159 (previously AI171) from Ahmedabad to London was cancelled on Monday due to a technical issue, airline officials confirmed. The cancellation comes amid heightened scrutiny of safety protocols following a recent deadly crash on the same route.
The June 12 crash resulted in 274 fatalities, including 241 passengers and crew onboard and 33 people on the ground. In the aftermath, Air India changed the flight number from AI-171 - the flight that crashed shortly after takeoff en route to London Gatwick - to AI-159.
The return leg has similarly been renumbered to AI-160.