CHENNAI: An Indigo Airlines flight from Mumbai to Phuket in Thailand, carrying 182 people, made an emergency landing at Chennai airport on Friday night following a bomb threat.
The flight departed from Mumbai with 176 passengers and six crew members on Friday evening. When the aircraft was mid-air near Chennai, Mumbai airport authorities received an anonymous call, and the caller claimed that explosives were hidden inside the aircraft’s lavatory and that the plane would explode mid-flight, and disconnected the call abruptly.
Alerted by the threat, Mumbai airport officials contacted Chennai ATC, and the flight was diverted to Chennai, and the aircraft landed safely at 7:20 pm.
All passengers were immediately evacuated and moved to waiting lounges at the terminal. Bomb squad personnel, security officials, and commando forces surrounded the aircraft and began intensive searches. So far, no suspicious items have been found, and officials suspect it may be a hoax call. However, security checks are continuing. Once the aircraft is fully cleared, it will be allowed to resume its journey to Phuket.