NEW DELHI: In a chilling repeat of recent events, a Bengaluru-bound Akasa Air flight was forced to return to Delhi on Wednesday following a bomb threat, marking the 11th such incident involving an Indian aircraft in the past 48 hours.
The aircraft which had just taken off from Delhi was urgently diverted back, causing alarm among passengers and heightening concerns over flight security.
Confirming the threat, the airline spokesperson said that Akasa Air flight QP 1335, flying from Delhi to Bengaluru on October 16, 2024, and carrying 174 passengers, three infants, and seven crew members on board, received a security alert.
"The Akasa Air Emergency Response teams monitored the situation to ensure all support was provided to the operating teams and information was transparently disseminated to relevant stakeholders.
The Captain followed all required emergency procedures, diverted the flight back to Delhi, and landed safely at Indira Gandhi International Airport at 1:48 p.m.," said the spokesperson.
The airline official further said that according to the prescribed safety and security procedures, the aircraft was taken to an isolation bay upon landing. "All passengers were deplaned at 1:57 p.m. in coordination with the local authorities who undertook the necessary safety and security checks," said the official.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police informed that the said aircraft was positioned at an isolation bay and was being checked for any kind of explosives.
"All necessary procedures are being followed to ensure the safety of passengers and crew," said Deputy Commissioner of Police (IGI) Usha Rangnani, adding further updates will be provided as necessary.
On Tuesday alone, numerous flights were affected, including an Air India service from Delhi to Chicago, an IndiGo flight from Dammam to Lucknow, and an Air India Express flight from Ayodhya to Bengaluru.
Other targeted flights included a SpiceJet route from Darbhanga to Mumbai (SG116), another Akasa Air service from Bagdogra to Bengaluru (QP 1373), an Alliance Air flight from Amritsar to Dehradun with a stop in Delhi (9I 650), and an Air India Express flight from Madurai to Singapore (IX 684).