- SUMMARY
- Hoax bomb threats are raining at Indian airports.
- In a week time, IndiGo & Vistara have received 3 & 2 bomb threats respectively.
- Vistara long haul flight from Paris is the latest victim of these threats.
At Indian airports, bomb threats are becoming a huge menace. In this week itself, around five flights have received bomb threats, out of which one had to undergo evacuation. The latest victim of this bomb threat menace is a Vistara long-haul flight flying from Paris to Mumbai.
Vistara Boeing 787 Dreamliner Receives Bomb Threat
Vistara B787 registered as VT-TSO was operating flight UK24 from Paris Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG) to Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (BOM). The aircraft departed Paris Airport at 09:30 PM and landed at Mumbai Airport at 10:19 AM. Because of tensions in the Middle East, Vistara is avoiding the Iran airspace for its European flights. It already avoids the Afghan airspace.
During the flight, the cabin crew members found a note on an airsickness bag. They noticed this threat note just minutes before landing, around 10:08 AM. The aircraft made a safe landing with 294 passengers and 12 crew members.
Following this, the Dreamliner was taken to an isolation bay, where it underwent a detailed search. The security agencies found nothing suspicious and declared it as a hoax.
Vistara in a statement, acknowledged this incident. It confirmed that there was a security concern onboard the flight. Relevant agencies were informed about the threat. The airline is fully cooperating with the security agencies.
The aircraft in question in this case is a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner registered as VT-TSO. Leased from Airavat Leasing, it was delivered to Vistara on 31 August 2023. It is a nearly three-year-old aircraft, powered by a pair of GE engines. It has a capacity of 299 passengers. This means that UK24 was operating with almost full occupancy.
Fifth Bomb Threat of the Week
This Vistara bomb threat incident is the fifth similar incident this week. It started with a hoax call to IndiGo flight 6E2211 from Delhi to Varanasi. The captain, belonging to lessor Smartlynx ordered an immediate evacuation, resulting in the deployment of emergency slides.
Then, a Vistara Airbus A320neo received a bomb threat while flying to Srinagar Airport. Because of this, the airport operations were halted for almost two hours.
On June 1, two IndiGo flights received bomb threats. One aircraft was flying from Chennai to Mumbai, while the other one was flying from Varanasi to Delhi. All these threats were deemed to be hoaxes after detailed searches of aircraft.
Passengers Get Affected
When such incidents occur, passengers onboard the aircraft get affected as they have to wait for additional hours. In some incidents, they even have to get their baggage checked by security agencies, which adds to the inconvenience.
In addition, this may affect the passengers at other airports as well. For example, imagine an aircraft has to fly on the Delhi-Varanasi-Shirdi-Delhi sector. The Delhi to Varanasi leg receives a bomb threat. The aircraft is taken to the isolation bay and is thoroughly checked. This takes around 1-2 hours.
Here, the domino effect takes place. The passengers waiting at Varanasi airport for the Shirdi leg will have to wait for a few additional hours. The same goes for passengers traveling from Shirdi to Delhi. This comes as a loss not just for the passenger but also for the airline.
Conclusion
Vistara flight from Mumbai to Paris has received a bomb threat. The crew found a note on the airsickness bag, stating a bomb warning. The aircraft involved in this incident is a Boeing 787 Dreamliner registered as VT-TSO. It was taken to an isolation bay and searched in a detailed manner. Nothing suspicious was found.
What do you think about such incidents? Discuss in the comment section.
With Inputs From Hindustan Times
Featured Image Credits: Vistara via Facebook
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