New Delhi, Oct 19: Three international flights operated by Vistara received bomb threats that ultimately turned out to be hoaxes. As a precaution, one aircraft was diverted to Frankfurt, officials reported on Saturday.
A Vistara spokesperson stated that the flights departing from Delhi to London, Paris, and Hong Kong received security threats via social media on Friday. Following protocol, the airline promptly alerted all relevant authorities.
“Vistara flight UK17, operating from Delhi to London, was diverted to Frankfurt as a precautionary measure. The aircraft landed safely at Frankfurt Airport, where we fully cooperated with authorities to complete the necessary checks. The flight was subsequently cleared to continue its journey,” the spokesperson said. The flight later landed in London around 11:40 PM local time on Friday.
The spokesperson also confirmed that flight UK21, en route from Delhi to Paris, landed safely at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport. The aircraft was taken to an isolation bay for mandatory security checks and was later cleared to resume operations. Similarly, flight UK161, flying from Delhi to Hong Kong, also landed safely at Hong Kong International Airport, adhering to all security procedures.
In a related incident, Akasa Air announced on Saturday morning that its flight QP 1366, scheduled to fly from Bengaluru to Mumbai on Friday, received a security alert shortly before departure. “As per safety and security procedures, all passengers were deplaned while local authorities followed necessary protocols. We appreciate your understanding as our ground team worked diligently to minimize inconvenience,” the airline stated in a post on X.
Additionally, an Air India Express flight from Dubai to Jaipur made an emergency landing at Jaipur airport early Saturday morning due to a bomb threat, which was later confirmed to be a hoax. Authorities declared an emergency at the airport, and the flight, carrying 189 passengers, landed safely at 1:20 AM. A thorough inspection of the aircraft revealed no suspicious items.
In recent days, over 40 flights operated by Indian carriers have received bomb threats that turned out to be hoaxes. In response, the Civil Aviation Ministry is working to implement stricter regulations to deter such incidents, including adding perpetrators to a no-fly list.
