Indian media reports that more than 20 flights, including a Vistara Airlines flight from India to Colombo, were subjected to bomb threats today (19).
Among the airlines that faced these threats are Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air, Vistara, SpiceJet, Star Air, and Alliance Air.
Over the past few days, around 40 flights operated by Indian airlines have received bomb threats, according to these reports. As a result of these anonymous bomb threats, many flights were diverted, passengers had to be re-screened, and significant delays and inconveniences occurred. Some airlines reportedly incurred financial losses due to these disruptions.
Earlier this week, Indian Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu stated that the government is closely monitoring all bomb threat incidents and the increasing trend of such threats against airlines.
Meanwhile, Katunayake Airport authorities confirmed that no bomb threat was found on Vistara flight UK-131, which was flying from Mumbai to Colombo today.
The flight was scheduled to arrive at Katunayake Airport at 2:51 PM. However, 10 minutes before landing, the pilot received an anonymous call warning of a bomb threat. The pilot followed the standard aviation safety protocols, notified the relevant authorities, and declared an emergency.
The aircraft was safely landed, and all passengers were evacuated before the plane underwent a thorough inspection. It was later confirmed that there was no bomb threat.
Following these safety checks, the Katunayake Airport authorities allowed the flight, crew, and passengers to resume normal operations.
