LUCKNOW: On Tuesday, an Air India flight, IX 765, bound for Ayodhya, received a bomb threat while traversing the Uttar Pradesh airspace. The airline staff at Ayodhya airport received the menacing call.
The flight, which had originated from Jaipur with 139 passengers on board, landed at Ayodhya airport at approximately 2 pm. As a precautionary measure, the aircraft was directed to an isolated location on the airport tarmac to facilitate the safe disembarkation of passengers and commence a thorough combing operation.
Vinod Kumar, the airport director of Ayodhya, stated, “The passengers have been evacuated from the aircraft, while the bomb disposal unit, accompanied by their highly trained sniffer dogs, are meticulously examining the aircraft and the passengers’ luggage.” He further elaborated, “It was the airline’s ground staff who had received the bomb threat call at around 1:30 pm, after which, adhering to the standard procedure, we promptly alerted all the relevant stakeholders.”
The aircraft in question, a Boeing 737 Max8 with the call sign AXB765, had departed from Jaipur at 12:25 pm.This incident marks the second consecutive day that an Air India flight has been subjected to a bomb threat, underscoring the need for heightened vigilance and robust security measures in the aviation industry.
Earlier on Monday, Air India flight AI 119 from Mumbai to New York was diverted mid-air to Delhi following a security concern arising out of a bomb threat.