Seventh Bomb Threat Incident: IndiGo Flight Bound to Kolkata Isolated at Chennai Airport

It is raining bomb threats in Indian aviation. In the recent past, there have been around seven incidents in which aircraft were taken to isolation bay for checking after they received security threats. For IndiGo, this is the fourth bomb threat incident in the past week.

IndiGo Kolkata Bound Flight Receive Bomb Threat

For the fourth time, IndiGo has received a security threat. This time, an Airbus A321neo was ready to operate flight 6E321 from Chennai to Kolkata. The aircraft was expected to depart at 08:30 AM. Before the aircraft could depart, the IndiGo call center at Thuraipakkam received a call, on which the caller said that there was a bomb inside the flight and it would explode.

The IndiGo call center staff informed the security agencies, following which a Bomb Threat Contingency Committee was set up. The Airbus A321neo was taken to an isolation bay, where it was thoroughly searched.

The security process was completed. Nothing suspicious was found inside the aircraft. Hence, the committee declared the threat as non-credible and a hoax. The flight was then allowed to depart from Chennai. It departed at 01:13 PM, around five hours later than the scheduled time. Currently, it is about to touch down at Kolkata Airport.

The aircraft involved in this incident is an Airbus A321neo registered as VT-IML. This 2.2-year-old aircraft was delivered to IndiGo on 27 April 2022. In April 2023, it was involved in a tailstrike incident at Nagpur Airport, which grounded the jet for nearly two months. It reentered into service on 2 June 2023.

Seventh Bomb Threat Incident

On a daily basis, such bomb threats have become very common. IndiGo, Vistara, and Akasa Air have received 4, 2, and 1 such threats respectively. Here is a look at all these cases:

✈️IndiGo flight from Delhi to Varanasi received a bomb threat. Upon the instruction of the captain, the aircraft was promptly evacuated. The threat turned out to be a hoax.

✈️Vistara flight to Srinagar Airport received a bomb threat. The aircraft made an emergency landing. Srinagar Airport was shut down for two hours because of this incident.

✈️IndiGo flight from Chennai to Mumbai made an emergency landing at Mumbai Airport. Nothing suspicious was found when the aircraft was thoroughly searched. The threat was declared a hoax.

✈️IndiGo flight from Varanasi to Delhi received a threat through a call stating there was a bomb inside the flight. The aircraft was isolated upon landing at Delhi Airport. As expected, turned out to be a hoax.

✈️Vistara flight flying from Paris to Mumbai got a threat when cabin crew members found an airsickness bag with a bomb threat written on it. The B787 made an emergency landing at Mumbai Airport. After checking, nothing was found.

✈️Akasa Air flight from Delhi to Mumbai had to divert to Ahmedabad after a bomb threat. The aircraft has been thoroughly checked.

The IndiGo incident was the seventh one in the recent past. Unless there are any strict punishments for such crimes, such incidents will continue to disturb the airline and airport operations.

Conclusion

IndiGo flight 6E321 from Chennai to Kolkata received a bomb threat before the flight departure. This prompted the agencies at the airport to isolate the aircraft and search it. After nothing suspicious was found, it was allowed to depart. After a wait of five hours, it departed from Chennai Airport.

What do you think about such threat incidents? Discuss in the comment section.