Air India Mumbai-New York flight diverted mid-air after bomb threat; second hoax in 5 months | Representational Image
Mumbai: Air India’s flight carrying more than 300 passengers from Mumbai to New York was diverted back to Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport after it received a mid-air bomb threat. This was the second hoax bomb threat on the same flight in the last five months resulting to significant delay.
The Air India Flight AI119, which departed from Mumbai Airport at 1.43am on Monday for New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport, was diverted back mid-air after a potential security threat was detected mid-flight. Internal sources informed The Free Press Journal that a bomb threat was received mid-air forcing the airline to follow necessary security protocol and divert the flight to its departing airport.
According to the sources, the flight was carrying 322 people including passengers and crew members, which landed at Mumbai Airport at 10.25am. The flight was sent to the isolation bay where security agencies including the bomb threat assessment committee carried out an extensive search. The search continued till evening and the agencies confirmed the threat to be a hoax threat as no suspicious object was found.
The Sahar Police have registered a case against unidentified individuals and launched an investigation into this matter. According to the police, an air hostess discovered a letter in the airplane’s toilet warning of a bomb on board, following which the pilot immediately alerted security agencies and safely landed the aircraft at Mumbai Airport.
The police added that they are examining CCTV footage and questioning passengers and crew members. After a three-hour search, authorities confirmed that the threat was a hoax. The note read, “There is a bomb in the cargo … 59 minutes left … the flight will take off as soon as it lands.”
However, the flight has been rescheduled to 5am on Tuesday and the passengers were offered hotel accommodation, meals and other assistance until then by the airline.
“After following the necessary protocols, the flight air-returned to Mumbai, in the interest of the safety and security of all on board. The aircraft underwent mandatory checks by security agencies, and Air India extended its full cooperation to the authorities. Our colleagues on the ground made sure to minimise the inconvenience caused to our passengers by this disruption. As always, Air India accords the highest priority to the safety of passengers and crew,” an Air India Spokesperson.
Notably, this was the second hoax bomb threat received by flight AI119 in the last five months forcing the flight to divert from its route. The Free Press Journal had reported in October 2024 that the flight dated October 14 was diverted to Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport after it received a bomb threat through social media. No suspicious objects were found even back then.
