Bomb threat forces Alliance Air’s Assam-Kolkata flight to make emergency landing

The threat, which eventually turned out to be a hoax, was one of 25 received by flights across India on the same day.

Written by Sweety Kumari

Kolkata | Updated: October 21, 2024 06:26 PM IST

2 min read

In recent months, there has been “a significant spike in such false alerts, causing unnecessary panic and disruptions to air travel,” officials said. (Express Archives)

An Alliance Air flight from Assam to Kolkata was forced to make an emergency landing at the Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport Sunday following a “hoax” that 10 of its passengers were carrying bombs, authorities said Monday. The hoax was one of 25 received across India on the same day.

According to airport officials, authorities saw a message on social media that 10 passengers on Alliance Air’s 9I0752 (VTRKJ) ATR were carrying “two bombs each”, prompting the flight to make an emergency landing in a separate bay at 2.02 pm, an official said.

A search of all 73 passengers revealed that the message was a hoax, the official.

Also Read | 13 Mumbai flights receive bomb threats in two days; all hoax, Mumbai police begin probe

This came on a day when similar bomb threats affected 25 flights across India. The spike in such hoaxes in recent days have led to senior officials from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to meet Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan Monday.

Significantly, the Civil Aviation Ministry is said to be considering strict action against those sending such bomb threats, such as putting them on “no-fly list”. The government is also exploring changes in current rules and legislations.

Also Read | ‘Want to put perpetrators on no-fly list’: Govt mulls legislative measures to combat hoax bomb threats

Following the Kolkata incident, security agencies, airport officials, and police are on high alert.

“The motivations behind these hoax calls remain unclear, but they can have serious consequences. False threats can lead to delays, diversions, and even cancellations of flights, affecting thousands of passengers and causing significant financial losses to airlines,” one official said.

Sweety Kumari

Sweety Kumari reports from West Bengal for The Indian Express. She is a journalist with over a decade of experience in the media industry. Covers Crime, Defence, Health , Politics etc and writes on trending topics. With a keen eye for investigative and human-interest stories. She has honed her craft across diverse beats including aviation, health, incidents etc. Sweety delivers impactful journalism that informs and engages audiences. Sweety Kumari is a graduate of Calcutta University with an Honors degree in Journalism from Jaipuria College and a PG in Mass Communication from Jadavpur University. Originally from Bihar, she is brought up in Kolkata and completed her education from Kendriya Vidyalaya SaltLake. Multilingual, Sweety is fluent in English, Hindi, Bengali, and Maithili. She started her career as an Entertainment and lifestyle journalist with a newsportal in Kolkata. She is working with The Indian Express for 8 years now. ... Read More

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bomb hoax bomb threat hoax hoax call