IndiGo flight makes emergency landing amid second bomb scare in a week

IndiGo flight 6E-5314 made an emergency landing in Mumbai after an unclaimed remote was discovered onboard the aircraft

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An IndiGo flight departing from Chennai and bound for Mumbai, carrying 172 passengers and crew, conducted an emergency landing in Mumbai on Saturday due to a bomb threat received onboard. 

Flight 6E-5314 landed safely in Mumbai at 8:45 am.

This marks the second occurrence of a bomb threat targeting an IndiGo flight within a week, the previous incident happening on May 28 during a flight from Delhi to Varanasi.

Departing Chennai at approximately 6:50 am, the flight was en route when the bomb alert was received. Upon receiving the threat, the pilots promptly informed Mumbai air traffic control and requested an emergency landing, according to a report by The Times of India.

A full emergency response was activated, with fire tenders and ambulances on standby as the aircraft safely touched down. The aircraft was directed to an isolated bay for security checks related to the bomb threat, after which passengers disembarked safely.

In a statement, IndiGo confirmed the bomb threat on flight 6E 5314, stating that the crew followed protocol and the aircraft was taken to an isolation bay as per security agency guidelines. 

“IndiGo flight 6E 5314 operating from Chennai to Mumbai had received a bomb threat. Upon landing in Mumbai, the crew followed protocol and the aircraft was taken to an isolation bay as per security agency guidelines. All passengers have safely disembarked the aircraft. The aircraft is currently undergoing inspection. Post completion of all security checks, the aircraft will be positioned back in the terminal area,” IndiGo said in a statement.

An unclaimed remote was discovered onboard the aircraft, prompting the emergency landing procedure, the news report said, citing a source. Passengers were evacuated through emergency exits upon landing, adhering to safety protocols. 

Earlier last week, an IndiGo flight bound for Varanasi from Delhi, carrying 176 passengers, had encountered a bomb threat. To ensure safety, passengers were evacuated through emergency exits at the Delhi airport. However, video footage captured the evacuation process, revealing passengers and even flight crew sliding down the emergency slides with their cabin baggage.

According to safety regulations, evacuation should be completed within 90 seconds, and the entire cabin baggage is required to remain onboard the aircraft. Passengers are instructed not to carry any items during the evacuation, including footwear such as stilettos, to prevent damage to the inflatable slides.

In response to the incident in Delhi, IndiGo took disciplinary action by de-rostering two pilots and cabin crew members who failed to adhere to standard operating procedures during the evacuation.