Bomb scare on Vistara: Frankfurt-Mumbai flight makes emergency landing after bomb scare

A Mumbai-bound Vistara flight with 147 people on board made an emergency landing in Mumbai early on Thursday on arrival from Frankfurt, Germany, after the plane received a bomb threat, a source said.

The Boeing 787 landed safely at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport at 7:45 am. After the bomb threats against Air India, Akasa and Indigo, this is the 13th incident in a week in which flights of Indian airlines have been threatened with a bomb threat, according to Vistara.

After a security threat was received on social media, the plane was later moved to an isolation bay where all passengers disembarked.

“Vistara Flight UK 028…was the subject of a security threat reported on social media. As per protocol, all relevant authorities were informed immediately. The aircraft landed safely at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and was taken to the isolation bay where all customers were disembarked. “We are fully cooperating with security authorities to carry out mandatory security checks,” said a Vistara spokesperson.

Indian flights have recently faced bomb attacks on both international and domestic routes. The last bomb threat occurred on October 14, forcing an Air India plane en route to London to make an emergency landing. Hours earlier, two other Indigo flights on the Mumbai-Muscat and Mumbai-Jeddah sectors had also received bomb threats.

The protocol for bomb warnings on Indian flights follows a procedure in which passengers are unloaded from the aircraft along with carry-on baggage, checked baggage and cargo and all are re-screened. According to a BBC report, this delay could cause thousands of dollars in damage to airlines and security agencies.

“Unlawful, malicious…”

Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu expressed deep concern over the warnings, terming them “mischievous” and “unlawful”. He also convened a high-level meeting on October 14 involving officials from Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Civil Aviation Security Bureau (BCAS), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Ministry of Home Affairs etc. in the ministry for civil aviation.

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