Indian flight lands at BIA due to bombs scare; AASL says no threat

An Indian passenger flight arriving from Mumbai has made an emergency landing at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) in Katunayake due to a bomb scare.

All 96 passengers and 08 crew members of the flight have been evacuated and a special search operation is being carried out in the aircraft at the BIA, Sri Lanka’s Police Spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa said. 

No threat over bomb scare

Meanwhile, the Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited has issued a statement regarding the matter confirming that there is no threat over the reported bomb scare on the Vistara flight UK 131 (A320 Neo) from Mumbai to Colombo.

It said that the management of Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) adopted all precautionary and preventive measures in response to a reported bomb scare on the Vistara flight from Mumbai to Colombo, which was scheduled to arrive at 14:51 hrs at the BIA.

A nonspecific call on a bomb threat had been reported to the captain of the flight 10 minutes before landing at BIA, the statement said.

After authorities were alerted about the threat, in line with the protocol, all relevant authorities were immediately informed, and an emergency was declared at the Bandaranaike International Airport, it said.

“The flight with 96 passengers and 8 crew onboard landed safely at the airport at 14.49 hrs. All passengers were swiftly evacuated from the aircraft as a precautionary measure to the passenger terminal, and the safety of all passengers was assured.”

Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) (Private) Limited (AASL), together with other authorities, followed the standard protocols established for such incidents and ensured the safety and security of all passengers and crew was of utmost priority, the statement added.

Over 25 Indian flights disrupted 

The spate of bomb scares targeting Indian airlines continued on Saturday after at least 25 flights operated by Air India, Vistara, IndiGo, Akasa Air and other airlines were disrupted after bomb threats, Indian media reported today.

According to reports, threats have been issued to flights operated by Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air, Vistara, SpiceJet, Star Air, and Alliance Air.

The IndiGo airline received bomb threats for its five international flights- 6E 11, 6E 17, 6E 58, 6E 108, and 6E 184, said officials. The airline said they are working closely with the authorities and taking all necessary precautions for the safety and security of passengers.

The IndiGo flight 6E 17  was operating from Mumbai to Istanbul, while flight 6E 11 travelling from Delhi to Istanbul. The airline said its 6E 184 flight, operating from Jodhpur to Delhi, was grounded at the Indira Gandhi International Airport after the bomb threat.

“Flight 6E 184, operating from Jodhpur to Delhi received a security-related alert. The aircraft has landed in Delhi and customers have disembarked the aircraft, we are coordinating with the security agencies as per procedure. Ensuring the safety and security of our customers and crew remains paramount in all facets of our operations,” IndiGo airline said in an official statement.

The Air India airline sources said that at least five flights with numbers AI 101, AI 105, AI 126, 119, and AI 161 were disrupted following the bomb scare. The airline has not yet officially confirmed the incident.

Meanwhile, Akasa Air Airline confirmed that some of their flights operating on October 19 were disrupted following security alerts. However, the airline denied disclosing the number of flights affected. The airline sources said five of its flights were disrupted.

“Some of our flights operating on October 19, 2024, have received security alerts today. The Akasa Air Emergency Response teams are monitoring the situation and are in touch with the security and regulatory authorities. We are following all safety and security procedures in coordination with local authorities and the Akasa Air teams on the ground are prepared to assist passengers to ensure their safety and comfort,” the Akasa Air airline said.

The airline sources also claimed that five flights each being operated by Air Asia and SpiceJet also received security alerts, leading to disruption in their regular operation.

An Air India Express flight (IX-196) flying from Dubai to Jaipur made an emergency landing at the Jaipur International Airport after it received a bomb threat via email during the wee hours of Saturday.

The authorities confirmed that nothing suspicious was found after the plane landed in Jaipur with 189 passengers on board. Further investigation into the matter is underway.

Earlier in the day, a London-bound Vistara flight from Delhi (UK17) was diverted to Frankfurt, Germany, after a bomb threat. In a statement early Saturday morning, an airline spokesperson said the flight landed safely at the Frankfurt airport and mandatory checks were conducted.

Since Monday, at least 35 flights have been diverted or forced into emergency after receiving such threats, prompting the Indian civil aviation ministry and authorities to implement stricter norms to deal with such situations.

--With Agencies inputs