Air India Express flight makes emergency landing after bomb threat
An Air India Express flight from Mumbai to Varanasi made an emergency landing on Tuesday following a bomb threat that triggered panic onboard.
Authorities said the alert was received via email while the aircraft was still in the air, prompting the activation of top-level security protocols, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.
The plane landed safely at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport in Varanasi, where it was quickly moved to an isolation bay. All passengers were safely evacuated, and a bomb disposal squad carried out a thorough inspection of the aircraft.
Airport officials confirmed that the plane will resume operations only after completing all mandatory security checks.
Confirming the incident, an Air India Express spokesperson said, “One of our flights to Varanasi received a security threat. In line with protocol, the Government-appointed Bomb Threat Assessment Committee was immediately alerted, and all necessary procedures were promptly initiated.”
The situation intensified when it emerged that five major international airports Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad and Thiruvananthapuram had also received a similar threat email. The message warned that aircraft at these airports would be “blown up,” triggering a heightened alert across the aviation network. Indigo reportedly received the threat email around 3:30 pm, which led to immediate coordination between CISF, airport authorities and central security agencies.
The escalation comes just two days after the high-intensity car explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort Metro Station, which killed 12 people and injured many others. With aviation, metros and major public spaces already under scrutiny following the blast, the fresh threat has placed security agencies across the country on maximum alert.
Officials suspect the possibility of a hoax but are treating the case with full seriousness. A multi-agency investigation is underway to trace the source of the emails and determine whether the two incidents, the Red Fort blast and the airport threats have, any connection.
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