Air India Express, SpiceJet, Akasa and 4 other flights get bomb threats via X: All you need to know

A day after three international flights from Mumbai received bomb threats, seven aircraft received bomb threat messages through a social media handle on Tuesday, prompting security agencies to undertake specific counter-terrorist drills at various airports.

The threats came through the microblogging platform X (formerly Twitter). The X handle has since been suspended by the platform.

Citing sources, a PTI report said an X handle issued threats on Tuesday to seven planes, including an Air India Express aircraft from Jaipur to Bengaluru via Ayodhya (IX765), a SpiceJet plane from Darbhanga to Mumbai (SG116), an Akasa Airplane from Siliguri to Bengaluru (QP 1373) and an Air India plane from Delhi to Chicago (AI 127).

The Air India Express aircraft underwent a security check at the Ayodhya airport, while the SpiceJet and Akasa flights landed safely.

The Air India flight from Delhi to Chicago was diverted to Canada for security checks. Precautionary measures are being taken in all the cases, aviation security sources said.

Vinod Kumar, director of the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhya Dham, said the Air India Express aircraft arrived from Jaipur, confirming the emergency situation at the airport.

“Air India Express, along with a few other operators, received a specific security threat from an unverified social media handle,” said an Air India Express spokesperson on the bomb threat to AIX flight in Ayodhya.

“In response, security protocols were promptly activated as directed by the Government-appointed Bomb Threat Assessment Committee,” the spokesperson said.

“The flight landed safely, and the aircraft will be released for operations following all mandated security procedures.”

The Boeing 737-Max 8 aircraft, with the tail sign VT-BWF, had 132 passengers on board. The airline said it was coming from Jaipur and was scheduled to go to Bengaluru after a brief halt in Ayodhya.

The plane was reportedly scheduled to land at the Ayodhya airport at 2 pm but landed at 2:06 pm. It was scheduled to take off at 2:55 pm for Bengaluru but was rescheduled for 5 pm.

Commercial flight operations at the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport were launched earlier this year.