Bomb hoaxes lead to emergency landings for Indian airlines in Canada and fighter jet mobilization in Singapore's airspace.
Over the past few days, Indian airlines have encountered numerous alleged threats, all of which have been exposed as fabrications, announced Air India in a statement on Tuesday. Authorities in New Delhi and globally are investigating the wave of bogus bomb warnings.
On Tuesday, an Air India aircraft bound for Chicago from New Delhi necessitated an emergency landing in Iqaluit, Canada's most northerly city. The 211 passengers and crew were shifted to the airport, as reported by Canadian law enforcement.
Air India flight 127 was subjected to a "security concern" shared online, prompting the diversion as a precautionary move, the airline stated.
In addition, on Tuesday, Singapore dispatched two Air Force F-15 fighter jets to escort an Air India Express passenger plane away from populated areas prior to touchdown at Changi Airport, according to the Singaporean defense minister on social media platform X.
Flight AXB684 was heading to Singapore from the southern Indian city of Madurai when the airline received an email stating there was a bomb onboard, minister Ng Eng Hen said.
The email-induced threat led Singapore to activate its land-based air defense systems and explosive ordnance disposal, and the plane was handed over to airport police upon arrival, Ng stated, with the investigation still ongoing.
Various flights operated by Indian carriers have been delayed or diverted due to false bomb threats since Monday. This includes both domestic flights on low-cost airlines and international flights, with the threats reportedly emanating from emails or social media posts.
Affected trips include an Air India flight from Mumbai to New York that was redirected to Delhi on Monday due to a hoax bomb alert, as confirmed by the airline spokesperson to CNN. Furthermore, two flights operated by budget carrier IndiGo from Mumbai and set to land in Oman and Saudi Arabia faced lengthy delays due to bomb threats, the airline disclosed.
Low-cost carrier SpiceJet also reported receiving a bomb threat to a flight to Mumbai from the northern city of Darbhanga on Tuesday.
“The aircraft landed safely at Mumbai Airport and was directed to an isolation bay as a precautionary measure,” SpiceJet stated in a declaration, adding that after security checks, the flight was given clearance for further procedures.
Although the connection between the threats is unclear, or the underlying motive, Air India emphasized that they cannot be overlooked.
“As a responsible airline operator, all threats are given serious consideration,” the airline asserted, further discussing their cooperation with authorities to ensure the culprits are “brought to account for the disruption and inconvenience inflicted on passengers.”
India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA) is reportedly convening on Wednesday to address the situation, according to CNN affiliate News 18. CNN has reached out to MOCA, India's Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation for comment.
The Air India emergency landing in Canada comes as tensions escalate between the two nations after Canada expelled six Indian diplomats, including the high commissioner, on Monday.
Canada accused personnel linked to the Indian government of being implicated in homicides, harassment, and other “acts of violence” against Sikh separatists in the country. India labeled the accusations "absurd" and subsequently expelled six Canadian diplomats in response.
Although there's no indication that the bomb hoaxes are linked to the diplomatic feud, threats to Air India flights in Canada rekindle traumatic memories of the 1985 bombing of Air India flight 182 by Sikh extremists, the deadliest act of terrorism in Canadian history. The Montreal-to-New Delhi flight exploded off the Irish coast, claiming the lives of all 329 passengers, including over 250 Canadians.
After the diplomatic tension between India and Canada, with Canada expelling six Indian diplomats on Monday, Air India experienced an emergency landing of one of its planes bound for Chicago in Istanbul, Canada. This incident occurred due to a bomb threat, which was later found to be a fabrication, similar to the wave of bogus bomb warnings facing various Indian airlines around the world.
