One of the affected planes has been cleared to resume its journey.
Three international flights, two operated by IndiGo and one by Air India, received fake security threats, leading to disruption in outbound international flight operations, as checks were initiated for all three planes involved. The total number of passengers across the two IndiGo flights was 258. One of the flights has already departed while the other will resume its journey this afternoon.
According to the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), a total of three planes received bomb threats. "One IndiGo plane has been given permission to fly. The two other planes will get permission to fly soon," the BCAS told NDTV.
The first incident involved Air India flight AI119, scheduled to fly from Mumbai to New York's JFK Airport. Following a security alert, the flight was urgently diverted to New Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport early in the morning. Passengers and crew were evacuated safely, and the aircraft was taken to an isolated runway. A bomb squad and other security agencies promptly began conducting a thorough inspection.
"Flight AI119 operating from Mumbai to JFK on October 14 received a specific security alert and on instructions of the government's security regulatory committee was diverted to Delhi. All passengers have disembarked and are at the Delhi airport terminal," an Air India spokesperson confirmed.
The authorities are investigating the nature of the threat, and Air India is coordinating with security personnel to determine the next steps. As of now, no further updates have been provided by the airline.
Simultaneously, two IndiGo flights originating from Mumbai were also affected. Flight 6E1275, bound for Muscat, and Flight 6E56, heading to Jeddah, received security threats, resulting in immediate measures being taken by the airline. According to an IndiGo spokesperson, both aircraft were moved to isolated bays at Mumbai Airport, following standard operating procedures. The Muscat-bound plane has already departed.
"As per protocol, the aircraft was taken to an isolated bay, and mandatory security checks were promptly initiated," the spokesperson said.
The second affected IndiGo flight, 6E56, heading to Jeddah, followed the same protocol. The airline reiterated that safety remains its top priority, and all steps were being taken to ensure the security of passengers and crew.