GoAir Bhubaneswar-Mumbai flight diverted after bomb scare

A Bhubaneswar-Mumbai GoAir flight was diverted to Nagpur following a phone call warning of a bomb on board, said the airline in a statement.

The flight G8-243 with 150 passengers aboard had taken off from Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar at 8.20 a.m. and after getting the bomb threat was diverted to Nagpur in Maharashtra where it landed at 9.29 a.m.

The GoAir Bhubaneswar office informed police. All passengers were deplaned and a thorough security check was carried out but no bomb was found inside the aircraft, said the statement from GoAir.

After the relevant security clearances, the aircraft was permitted to depart at noon for the onward flight of the private carrier to Mumbai.

A Delhi bound Indigo flight was also checked, which was about to take off from Bhubaneswar airport following repeated phone calls from an unidentified person in the morning.

Bhubaneswar airport director Sarad Kumar said: "The person made three phone calls to the airport manager stating that bombs have been planted in GoAir flight and Indigo flight. He also used slang words to the manager. Then we immediately landed the Mumbai bound flight at Nagpur and did a security check."

He said the Delhi bound Indigo flight was also thoroughly checked here, but nothing was found.

Bhubaneswar DCP Satyabrat Bhoi said the police is trying to trace the person who had made the hoax calls to the airport authorities.