A selection of Indian airlines have faced significant disruptions following a series of nearly two dozen hoax bomb threats throughout October 2024. These incidents have affected multiple carriers, including Air India (AI/AIC), IndiGo (6E/IGO), and Vistara (UK/VTI), prompting emergency responses and rerouting of flights across various routes. Let’s look at some of the most recent disruptions.
Air India flight 127
On October 15, Air India flight AI127, traveling from Delhi (DEL) to Chicago O’Hare (ORD), was forced to divert to Iqaluit Airport (YFB) in Canada after a bomb threat was received mid-flight.
The Boeing 777, carrying 211 passengers and 20 crew members, landed safely at the remote Arctic airport. The passengers were stranded for some time, and the aircraft itself had to remain at YFB for 2 days due to a delay in implementing the required security checks to release the aircraft. Due to this delay, the Canadian Air Force stepped in to assist, transporting the stranded travelers to Chicago on a military Airbus C330, which operated under the flight number CFC4449. Following a thorough inspection, the original aircraft departed Iqaluit without passengers, continuing to Chicago as flight AIC127D on October 17.
Air India flight 129
Just two days later, on October 17, Air India flight AI129 from Mumbai (BOM) to London Heathrow Airport (LHR) encountered a similar situation.
At approximately 11:25 UTC, the flight squawked 7700 around 10:30 UTC after receiving a bomb threat. In response, the Royal Air Force dispatched a Typhoon fighter jet to intercept the Boeing 777, which flew a holding pattern over East Anglia for around 30 minutes. After an investigation, the threat was determined to be another hoax and the flight was allowed to proceed safely to Heathrow, where the emergency was subsequently canceled.
This was not the only example of interception by military aircraft. A Boeing 737-86N operating Air India Express flight IX684 from Madurai Airport (IXM) to Singapore (SIN) was also intercepted by two F15 fighter jets of Singapore’s military, escorting the aircraft away from populated areas. The aircraft landed safely in Singapore just after 10pm local time.
These incidents are part of a concerning trend. Other Indian airlines have also faced hoax bomb threats, including a Vistara flight from Delhi (DEL) to Singapore (SIN) and an IndiGo flight to Bangkok (BKK). While these flights did not execute emergency diversions, they caused significant disruption to the airlines and their passengers. Aviation authorities in India are reportedly cooperating with international security agencies to trace the origins of these threats.
The series of threats has placed a significant burden on the airlines, security forces, and passengers alike, underlining the importance of advanced safety protocols in mitigating risks and maintaining operational stability during these challenging times.
