Bomb Threats Trigger Panic on Air Canada and Vistara Flights
Panic erupted on an Air Canada flight bound for Toronto after Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport received an email alleging that a bomb had been planted on the aircraft, an official said on Wednesday. The threat, however, turned out to be a hoax.
The Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) office received the email at 10:50 pm on Tuesday, claiming a bomb was on the Delhi-Toronto Air Canada flight. “Following standard security protocols, a thorough inspection was conducted, and nothing suspicious was found. Legal action in the matter is being taken,” a police officer said, as quoted by PTI.
In a separate incident, a Mumbai-bound Vistara flight with 306 persons onboard from Paris also received a bomb threat on June 4, prompting a full emergency declaration at the city airport before its arrival. Vistara reported that flight UK 024 from Paris’ Charles de Gaulle Airport to Mumbai received a handwritten note on an airsickness bag threatening a bomb. The flight landed safely at 10:19 am on Sunday.
“A full emergency was declared at 10:08 am. There were 294 passengers and 12 crew onboard the Paris-Mumbai flight,” a source said, noting that the flight landed at 10:19 am.
“A security concern was noted by our staff while onboard flight UK 024 operating from Paris to Mumbai on 2 June 2024,” Vistara stated officially. Following protocol, the airline immediately informed the relevant authorities about the bomb threat handwritten note, a Vistara spokesperson added.
The flight landed at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai, and the airline fully cooperated with security agencies for all mandatory checks.
