Full Emergency Declared At Mumbai Airport After Bomb Threat On Vistara Flight
Mumbai's bustling Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Airport experienced a dramatic start to the day as a bomb threat on a Vistara flight from Paris triggered a full-scale emergency response.
A Vistara flight from Paris to Mumbai with 306 people onboard faced a bomb threat, leading to a full emergency alert at Mumbai Airport before its arrival, news agency PTI reported citing sources. The flight landed safely at 10:19 AM on Sunday, the report said.
Vistara disclosed that its flight UK 024 from Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris to Mumbai received a handwritten note on an airsickness bag threatening a bomb. Following this, a full emergency was declared at 10:08 AM. The aircraft landed safely at 10:19 AM.
"There were 294 passengers and 12 crew members on the Paris-Mumbai flight," the source told PTI.
In a statement, Vistara confirmed, "A security concern has been noted by our staff while onboard the airline's flight UK 024 operating from Paris to Mumbai on 2 June 2024". Following protocol, the airline promptly informed the relevant authorities and is fully cooperating with security agencies for all necessary checks. The flight landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai.
In a related incident, a Varanasi-Delhi Indigo flight also received a bomb threat on Saturday evening, prompting immediate action by authorities at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport.
Indigo stated that flight 6E 2232 from Varanasi to Delhi received a bomb threat. Upon landing in Delhi, the aircraft was directed to an isolation bay following security guidelines, and the crew adhered to all standard procedures. All passengers safely disembarked, and the aircraft underwent inspection.
Earlier on Friday, a Delhi-Srinagar Vistara flight received a bomb threat call, triggering emergency protocols. Similarly, an IndiGo flight from Delhi to Varanasi received a bomb threat earlier in the week. Passengers were evacuated via emergency exits, and the aircraft was moved to an isolation bay for inspection, where a "tissue paper with the word 'bomb' written on it was found in the lavatory" of the aircraft.