According to the official, 89 passengers and 7 crew members were travelling on the flight. (File photo)
Highlights
- Bomb scare grounds Air India flight from Delhi in Goa
- Calangute police receive hoax call claiming bomb on-board flight AI516
- 89 passengers, 7 crew members were on-board. No bomb was found
An Air India flight which arrived from Delhi was held up at the Panaji Airport following a hoax call that claimed there was a bomb on-board.
"Calangute police received a call about a bomb planted in the flight AI516 flying to Goa," a senior Airports Authority of India (AAI) official told Press Trust of India.
"After receiving the call upon the flight's take-off, police, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), AAI officials and the bomb disposal squad were summoned," he said.
"The plane which landed at Vasco at 2 PM, was moved towards the Indian Navy apron, and checked thoroughly for the presence of a bomb," he said.
"Initially, it looks like a hoax call, but we are not taking any chance," the official said, with the bomb disposal squad still in action.
According to the official, 89 passengers and 7 crew members were travelling on the flight.
Goa Airport Director KS Rao could not be contacted for a reaction.