MUMBAI: In the fourth security threat incident in less than a week, an
Akasa Air
flight from Delhi to Mumbai received a
security alert
that had the pilots divert the aircraft to Ahmedabad.
“Akasa Air flight QP 1719, flying from Delhi to Mumbai on June 03, 2024, and carrying 186 passengers, 1 infant and six crew members on board, received a security alert on board.
As per prescribed safety and security procedures, the plane was diverted to Ahmedabad,” said
Akasa
Air in a press statement.
“The Captain followed all required emergency procedures and landed safely at
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport
at 10.13 am . All passengers have been deplaned. Akasa Air is following and supporting all safety and security protocols on ground,” it added.
On Sunday, a Vistara flight from Paris with 306 people on board received a bomb scare that had the pilots carry out an emergency landing at Mumbai airport. That was the third bomb scare incident in the country in the recent past.
A handwritten note on an airsickness bag threatening a bomb was reported by Vistara, said sources. A full scale emergency was declared at 10.08 am and the flight UK024 landed safely at 10.19 am. Fire tenders and ambulances were on standby when the Boeing 787 aircraft landed. It was taken to an isolated bay for the security check. Sources said no bomb was found on the aircraft.
Then again, on Saturday an IndiGo flight from Chennai to Mumbai received a bomb threat , which also led to an emergency landing in Mumbai. The flight had left Chennai around 6.50 am and was enroute to its destination when the bomb alert was received. “An unclaimed remote was found on board the aircraft,” said a source. The pilots informed the Mumbai air traffic control and sought an emergency landing.
Last week, on May 28, an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Varanasi with 176 passengers on board received a bomb threat, following which the pilots ordered an emergency evacuation. Video clips of the evacuation showed passengers and even flight crew evacuating through the slides carrying their cabin bags. Under the safety norms, evacuation should be complete within 90 seconds, cabin bags are supposed to be left behind in the aircraft. Following the Delhi incident, IndiGo derostered two pilots and cabin crew members for not following the SOPs on evacuation.
