Bomb threat forces Air India flight to divert to Ahmedabad

Bangla Press Desk:  An Air India Express flight from Saudi Arabia’s Dammam to New Delhi with 40 people, including crew, onboard made an emergency landing at Ahmedabad airport on Monday after a crew member found a tissue paper bearing a message that there was a "bomb" on the plane, police said.

The Delhi-bound aircraft was diverted to Ahmedabad after the crew member discovered the threat message in the washroom, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), 'G' Division, VN Yadav said."The aircraft made an emergency landing at Ahmedabad International Airport at around 4.30 pm after a crew member found a tissue paper in the washroom having the text 'bomb' written on it," Yadav said.

The pilots decided to divert the aircraft to Ahmedabad as a precaution after being alerted about the threat. Following the emergency landing, security agencies, including the CISF, bomb disposal squad and dog squad, conducted a thorough search of the aircraft. Nothing suspicious was found during the security checks, the police said.

All 32 passengers on board were safe and were accommodated at Terminal 2 of the Ahmedabad airport, Yadav said. An investigation has also been launched into the incident.

In a statement, an Air India Express spokesperson said the Dammam-Delhi flight was diverted to Ahmedabad "as a precaution and in keeping with security protocols" after the airline was notified of a specific bomb threat.

"The government-appointed Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) was alerted immediately, and all security procedures promptly initiated," the spokesperson said.

All passengers disembarked safely after the aircraft landed, the airline said, adding that the aircraft would be released for operations only after the necessary security checks were completed.