An IndiGo Airlines flight made an emergency landing on Sunday at Lucknow airport with 238 passengers onboard following a bomb threat. The aircraft identified as 6E-6650 was en-route Bagdogra from Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, ANI reported.
According to Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Rajneesh Verma, the bomb threat surfaced through a handwritten note found on “a tissue paper in the toilet of the flight.”
"A message was found written on a tissue paper in the toilet of the flight, stating that there was a bomb on board. The flight had 238 passengers, along with the pilots and crew. The flight was en route from Delhi to Bagdogra. It made an emergency landing in Lucknow and is currently being searched," ANI quoted Rajneesh Verma as saying.
The plane was parked in the isolation bay after it landed at Lucknow airport as security teams are thoroughly searching the aircraft for any suspicious items. The bomb disposal squad and CISF teams promptly initiated a thorough investigation. A comprehensive search is underway at the airport.
In view of the shocking development, all passengers were evacuated and scanned once the flight landed safely at approximately 09:17 AM. The Air Traffic Control (ATC) received information about the bomb threat at around 08:46 AM on 18 January. In accordance with safety measures and protocols, security agencies conducted standard checks.
The aircraft was carrying 230 passengers, including 222 adults and 8 infants, 2 pilots, and 5 crew members. As per Flighradar24 data, the Airbus A321-251NX aircraft departed at 7:46 AM but took a U-turn mid-air to land at Lucknow's Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport.
Earlier on Christmas, a bomb threat email was received at the customer support email address of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) in Hyderabad in connection with Flynas flight XY 325, according to an official.
The flight landed safely, and all mandatory safety and security protocols were immediately implemented, the RGIA official said.
