Mahi Shrivastava, Bhopal: An IndiGo flight operating from Lucknow to Dammam in Saudi Arabia made an emergency landing at Ahmedabad airport on September 10, Thursday, evening after a bomb threat was reported onboard.
IndiGo flight 6E97 with 107 passengers and 6 crew members on board was safely landed at approximately 5:40 p.m. after being redirected to Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport, Ahmedabad. All the travelers and staff were moved to Terminal 2 after being deemed safe.
What happened?
During the flight, a crew member allegedly spotted the word “Bomb” scribbled on a piece of paper inside the airplane, which sparked the panic. As a precaution and in obedience to standard aviation-security protocols, the pilots diverted the flight to Ahmedabad following this finding.
Following the plane’s landing, security agencies carried out a careful anti-sabotage inspection involving the cabin, cargo, luggage, and possible areas of the aircraft. Teams from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Ahmedabad Police, local police, and the Special Operations Group (SOG) conducted a thorough assessment following the aircraft’s landing. At the time of reporting, no suspicious items or materials were discovered on board, according to the police.
Current Status of the Situation
The passengers were transferred to Dammam on another aircraft. The replacement flight was scheduled to depart at around 8:30 p.m., but it has not yet taken off. The departure time may change depending on when security and operational arrangements are completed. It had been declared a hoax bomb threat, but still the safety and security messures are being kept on work as the officials have not yet confirmed the exact circumstances behind the incident.
Second Emergency Landing Within Just 10 Days in Ahmedabad
Officials are continuing to investigate whether the message was a genuine security alert or a hoax. The incident has drawn additional attention because a nearly identical bomb scare occurred at Ahmedabad airport just 10 days earlier. An Air India Express flight from Dammam to New Delhi was diverted to Ahmedabad on August 31 after a crew member discovered a tissue paper containing a bomb message in the aircraft’s lavatory. When the 32-passenger aircraft was searched, nothing unusual was discovered.
While no suspicious object was recovered in either case, authorities are examining whether the repeated pattern could indicate a deliberate warning or a wider security concern.