Bomb threat delays Air India Express flight from Ayodhya to Bengaluru

An Air India Express flight from Ayodhya to Bengaluru was delayed after a bomb threat, officials said on Tuesday.
 

The plane came from Jaipur, Vinod Kumar, director of the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, Ayodhya Dham, told PTI, confirming the emergency situation at the airport.
 

The situation arose following a threat from an unverified social media account, according to Air India Express officials.
 

"Air India Express, along with a few other operators, received a specific security threat from an unverified social media handle.
 

"In response, security protocols were promptly activated as directed by the government-appointed Bomb Threat Assessment Committee. The flight landed safely, and the aircraft will be released for operations following all mandated security procedures," an Air India Express spokesperson told PTI in a statement.
 

The Boeing 737-Max 8 aircraft, with tail sign VT-BWF, had 132 passengers on board. The plane was coming from Jaipur and was scheduled to go to Bengaluru after a brief halt in Ayodhya, according to an airline official.
 

The plane was scheduled to land at the Ayodhya airport at 2 pm but landed at 2:06 pm. It was scheduled to take off at 2:55 pm for Bengaluru but was rescheduled for 5 pm, the official told PTI around 4 pm.
 

Commercial flight operations at the Maharishi Valmiki International Airport were launched earlier this year.