Bomb threat on IndiGo flight triggers security alert at Chennai airport
An aircraft flying from Hyderabad to Chennai made an emergency landing after a handwritten warning was found in a toilet.
A bomb threat on an IndiGo flight from Hyderabad to Chennai led to a security alert at Chennai airport on Friday, according to The Pioneer. An airline staff member found a handwritten note on a piece of tissue paper stuck to a mirror in the aircraft's toilet.
The message stated “BOOM – 1.50 PM”. The staff member notified the pilot, who then informed the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at Chennai airport. The aircraft was at an altitude of approximately 32,000 feet with 192 passengers and six crew members on board when the note was discovered.
The flight, which was expected to land at 1 pm, performed an emergency landing at 12.58 pm and was moved to a remote parking bay. A bomb disposal team and sniffer dogs searched the plane, while passengers and their luggage underwent security inspections.
The search lasted over an hour, but no explosives were located. Security personnel monitored the aircraft until the time specified in the message passed. By 2.30 pm, officials declared the threat a hoax as no suspicious objects or incidents were reported.
Chennai airport police have filed a case and started an investigation to find the person who left the message inside the aircraft.