Vistara's Thiruvananthapuram-Mumbai flight receives bomb threat, note saying 'bomb on board' found

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A Thiruvananthapuram-Mumbai Vistara flight received a bomb threat on Friday police said in Mumbai, reported the PTI.

Following the threat a search was being carried out, an official said.

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A note saying 'bomb on board' was found by a crew member, said an official of Sahar police station in Mumbai, according to the PTI.

As the flight landed at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai around 3.15 pm, the airline informed the police, he said.

The passengers were informed about the threat after landing and a search of passengers and their luggage was underway though nothing suspicious had been found so far, the official added, the news agency reported.

An airline spokesperson said in a statement that a "security concern" was noticed by its staff onboard Vistara flight UK 552.

"As per protocol, we immediately alerted the relevant authorities, and the aircraft was taken to the isolation bay after safely landing at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, Mumbai where all customers have been disembarked," the statement added.

Bomb threat to London-bound Air India flight proved hoax, passenger apprehended during check-in

Meanwhile, in an another incident, earlier this week, a bomb threat to a London-bound Air India flight on Tuesday turned out to be a hoax and a 30-year-old passenger suspected of making the call was apprehended here by authorities when he and his family checked in to board the same AI 149 flight, an official had said, reported the PTI.

According to the police, the accused made the threat as he was allegedly unhappy over the "poor service" he got when he arrived here on an Air India flight.

He is a marketing executive in London and is settled there with his family, police said, adding that he had come to Kerala on vacation.

The suspect identified as Suhaib was booked for offences under IPC section 506 (criminal intimidation) and section 118(b) (knowingly spreads rumours or gives false alarm to mislead the police, fire brigade or any other essential service) and section 120(o) (causing nuisance and violation of public order) of the Kerala Police Act, according to the FIR.

"He has been taken to court for being remanded," an officer of Nedumbassery police station said, as per the PTI.

Earlier in the day, after the threat was received, security personnel conducted extensive checks on the aircraft and found no danger, allowing the flight to proceed as planned, a Cochin International Airport spokesperson had earlier said in a statement.

According to the Nedumbassery station officer, the bomb threat call was received by the Air India call centre in Mumbai early on Tuesday for flight AI 149, scheduled to fly from Cochin to London Gatwick. The alert was promptly communicated to Air India here and Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) at 1.22 AM. Following established protocols, a Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) was immediately convened at CIAL. The threat was assessed and declared specific.

Thorough security checks were conducted by the Airport Security Group (ASG-CISF) and airline security personnel, also using inline baggage screening systems.

In accordance with the recommendations from the Cochin Airport BTAC, the aircraft was moved to an isolated aircraft parking point, and comprehensive security measures were undertaken.

The aircraft was thoroughly checked and subsequently cleared for flight. The check-in process for AI 149 was completed by 10.30 am. The flight left for its destination at 1.25 pm.

It was originally scheduled to depart at 11.50 am on Tuesday.

(with PTI inputs)