26 October,2014 07:14 AM IST | | Agencies
The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport was put on high alert after the CISF received a text message stating that suicide bombers may board any of Air India's flights on October 24 and 25
Mumbai airport, high alert, suicide bombers, SMS, text message, Air India flights, Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, Mumbai news
The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai was put on high alert after the Kolkata Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) received a text message stating that suicide bombers may board any of Air India's flights on October 24 and 25. The alert was on till late Saturday.
The Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. FILE PIC
An alert was sounded by the country's various security agencies on the national carrier's six flights, operating on the Mumbai-Kochi-Ahmedabad route. According to airport officials, flights such as AI 191, which proceed to international destinations after plying between domestic ports of destination such as Mumbai, Ahmedabad and Delhi, are also under the scanner. Other flights put on high alert include AI 681 (Mumbai-Kochi), AI 985 (Mumbai-Muscat), AI 054 (Mumbai-Cochin), AI 131 (Mumbai- London) and AI 614 (Ahmedabad-Mumbai). Around 350-400 CISF personnel have been roped in for duty.
Security was beefed up on Saturday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi was expected to land in Mumbai at around 4pm yesterday, and depart at around 9 pm.
Anti-hijacking units were also alerted. "The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security has written to Mumbai airport to continue the high alert on all the six Air India flights on Sunday as well," said a senior officer.
