Air India passengers are picked up by the air force after a bomb threat forces landing in Nunavut

IQALUIT – More than 200 Air India passengers have landed in Chicago after a bomb threat forced the diversion of their flight to Nunavut.

The airline posted an update on social media overnight thanking the Royal Canadian Air Force for its help in transporting the 211 passengers of Flight 127 from India to their final destination.

Because Iqaluit was not equipped to accommodate so many unexpected guests, Ottawa gave the go-ahead to use military force to help the waylaid travelers.

The flight from New Delhi was diverted early Tuesday morning as a precautionary measure.

An Air India spokesman did not explain why its plane was unable to leave Nunavut with the passengers.

As for the bomb threat, Air India says it and other airlines have recently faced “a series of threats” that later turned out to be hoaxes.

The airline also thanked Canadian authorities and those at Iqaluit International Airport for their assistance and support in its update.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 16, 2024.

The Canadian Press