IndiGo faced the second bomb threat on Thursday, which resulted in Hyderabad-bound Sharjah flight to make an emergency landing in Mumbai. The incident happening in the sky came only few hours after another IndiGo airplane flying from Madinah to Hyderabad was redirected to Ahmedabad due to a similar e-mail threat. All people on board for both flights are secure.
Sharjah-Hyderabad flight diverted to Mumbai after threat
According to airport sources, the Hyderabad airport customer service team received the bomb threat email at approximately 2 PM for the flight 6E 1422 from Sharjah to Hyderabad. The aircraft has been diverted and it has successfully landed in Mumbai. Flight-tracking data has also confirmed this information.
The plane was immediately encircled by the standard safety precautions after landing. The aircraft was segregated, airports searched, sniffer dogs were used, and fire engines took up positions as a preventive measure. The very first checks did not unveil any explicit threat, as was the response from the officials.
According to officials, Investigative bodies have already made their first steps trying to detect the source of the email and to also find possible relationships of this email with the old and already quite forgotten treat of the last year that consisted of threatening another IndiGo flight that was going to Hyderabad. Still, the authorities declared that the passenger’s safety was constantly and unconditionally the topmost concern during the whole situation.
Madinah-Hyderabad flight makes precautionary landing in Ahmedabad
In the morning, the IndiGo flight from Madinah to Hyderabad, after getting a warning through a mail that the plane was going to be exploded if it was to land at the destination, landed as an emergency at Ahmedabad at about 12:30 PM. Accordingly, the aircraft with more than 180 passengers and six crew decided to land at the closest and the most suitable airport just to be on the safe side. They were taken to a far-off area at Sardar’s airport where they were strictly checked by the concerned authorities. The police officials confirmed that there were no strange activities on behalf of the travelers.
The aircraft was waiting at the airport while the security teams were checking. The case is being investigated by several agencies to find out where the threat came from, to authenticate it, and to connect both incidents.
The whole country affected: IndiGo cancels more than 300 flights
Security threats were enough for IndiGo to deal with, but, at the same time, the company had to face major internal operation turmoil. On Thursday alone, the adjustments in the schedules and the crew rostering changes have caused more than 300 flights, both domestic and international, to be grounded affecting the whole network.
The major hub airports were the most hit by the cancellations and delays. The happening included the cancellation of at least 33 flights from Delhi, 68 from Hyderabad, 85 from Mumbai, and 73 from Bengaluru, as per the information given by the officials. The troubles at the operation end have now taken place for the third day in a row, with thousands of passengers being affected and airport resources extended.
IndiGo has become a business model for all by its regularity and however fiasco is the absolute proof of how dependent on crew and scheduling regulations an airline can be. The airline’s goal is to make every flight departure punctual, but passengers who are subject to a schedule change or brought to the airplane late would be a reality in such a scenario.
The security procedures that are used during a bomb threat
When there is a mid-air bomb threat or an airport bomb threat, the safety checklist is put in motion. This would involve moving the airplane to a secluded location, passengers are evacuated or held and screen through checkpoints, the canine teams are brought in, baggage and cargo are searched and the emergency services are on alert. It is only after all the inspections that the aircraft is declared safe.
These procedures are not only cautious but also set in a way that the risk to passengers and crew is minimized while at the same time allowing the investigators to evaluate the seriousness of the threat. The responses in Mumbai and Ahmedabad on Thursday were in accordance with this very protocol.
Tips for passengers who are facing delays and route changes
– It is necessary to vary the air carrier’s app, website or airport screens for the flight status.
– Make a provision for a longer traveling time, especially when making the connection at the main airports.
– You may wish to carry the most important necessities in your hand baggage, i.e., goods that you would not survive without duty-free shopping, or credit cards.
– If your flight has met this fate of being cancelled use the airline’s webpage or apps to avoid long-line hanky-panky at the kiosks in order to get rebooked.
– Social media is the fasts way to get updates on the situation, as airports and police are likely to post the latest information in there all the time.
The two bomb threats were called and caused major disturbances on the schedule that are considered to be the worst as far as the impact on the day of India’s biggest carrier is concerned. The security agencies have been trying to locate the source of these emails, and at the same time, the operations people are working to make the situation normal. However, IndiGo passengers should be prepared for any changes in their travel and still get the latest information.
