A major security scare occurred on Friday when an IndiGo flight travelling from Kuwait to Delhi was forced to make an emergency landing at Ahmedabad airport after a hijack and bomb threat note was found onboard. The aircraft landed safely around 6.40 am, an airport official said. The aircraft was carrying 180 passengers, all of whom were immediately evacuated and subjected to detailed security checks. According to airport sources, the alarm was raised when a tissue paper with a handwritten note threatening to hijack and blow up the plane was found inside the aircraft. This triggered a full-scale emergency response which prompted the pilots to divert the aircraft to Ahmedabad without delay.
Security agencies promptly cordoned off the aircraft upon landing. All passengers were deboarded safely and both passengers and their baggage were taken for thorough inspection. Authorities confirmed that each traveller is being individually screened and identified as part of the standard threat-response protocol. As of now, no suspicious object has been found but checks are underway. "So far, no suspicious object has been recovered. The flight may take off after getting a final go-ahead," an airport official said.
Similar incident in Januray 22
In a similar incident on January 22, IndiGo flight 6E 2608 from Delhi to Pune received bomb threat information upon arrival at the Pune airport, though nothing suspicious was detected after thorough checks, officials said. "The aircraft, scheduled to arrive at 8:40 pm, landed at 9:24 pm and was parked at Bay No. 3 at 9:27 pm. Subsequently, Air Traffic Control (ATC) communicated the bomb threat information to Apron Control. The aircraft was then moved to the isolation bay. Apron Control immediately alerted all concerned agencies, and the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) was convened," an official said.
Following the assessment, the aircraft was thoroughly checked by the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS), the official said, adding no suspicious or adverse findings were detected. "Upon completion of the procedures, the aircraft was cleared and released for normal operations. The situation was handled in a coordinated and timely manner, and no further incident was reported," the official added.
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