On Saturday (April 17), an AirAsia India flight travelling from Bengaluru to Delhi was subjected to a bomb scare after the flight captain discovered a threat note in the washroom, reported The Times of India. It must be mentioned that the flight was scheduled to travel to Srinagar, after reaching Delhi.
The flight (15-741) departed from Bengaluru at about 11:30 am. When the journey was close to completion, flight Captain Kiran Sangwan discovered a note threatening about a bomb blast. “There is a bomb on board I will blast as on as it reaches Delhi,” the note emphasised. Captain Sangwan immediately alerted the Delhi Air Traffic Control (ATC) about the situation at hand. He sought a ‘priority landing’ at the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport at 1:53 pm.
The ATC briefed the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), who then formed a threat assessment panel as per the procedure. The flight landed at the IGI airport at 2:07 pm and was taken to the bay area instead of the operational area. Following that, a total of 159 passengers were asked to deboard along with their handbags. The CISF personnel then checked the aircraft, luggage, and the passengers. The security forces soon realised that the threat note was a hoax. After a few hours, the aircraft was allowed to fly again.
Investigation narrows down to 12 people
Meanwhile, the investigation in the case was narrowed down to just 12 passengers, on the basis of profiling and handwriting test. A police investigation has now been initiated in the bomb scare cases. The statement of the flight crew has been recorded while the 12 suspects were taken to the IGI police station. The remaining 143 passengers were allowed to go. Cops are now matching their handwriting samples with that of the handwriting on the threat note.
AirAsia releases statement following the bomb scare case
While speaking about the matter, an AirAsia India spokesperson said: “Flight 15 741 from Bengaluru to New Delhi on Saturday was subject to a bomb threat while en route. The crew took all necessary precautions and landed at Delhi uneventfully. The aircraft was taken to an isolation bay till cleared by authorities and all guests and crew were deplaned safely. Security procedures were initiated as per laid down norms and an investigation is currently ongoing.”
The spokesperson further added, “AirAsia regrets the disruption in travel plans of our guests on account of circumstances beyond our control. We are reaching out and providing all possible assistance to all our affected guests. Aircraft search completed by authorities and clearance has been given. Aircraft moved out from isolation bay to operational bay.”
