Lucknow- An IndiGo flight from Delhi to Bagdogra in West Bengal carrying 222 passengers made an emergency landing at the Lucknow airport on Sunday due to a security scare after a handwritten note on a tissue paper that read “Plane mein bomb” (bomb on the plane) was found in the aircraft, police said.
No suspicious item was detected during a security sweep of the plane, carried out by the bomb disposal squad and other agencies after all passengers, including eight infants, and seven crew members were safely evacuated and the aircraft was taken to the isolation bay this morning, they said.
All passengers of IndiGo flight 6E 6650 re-boarded the aircraft and it left for its scheduled destination at 4.40 pm after the completion of mandatory security checks and prescribed protocols, officials said.
According to the officials, Air Traffic Control (ATC) received information at around 8.46 AM about a bomb threat on IndiGo flight 6E-6650. Acting on the alert and following prescribed security protocols, the aircraft was diverted and made a safe emergency landing at Lucknow airport at 9.17 am.
The airline said that the plane was diverted to Lucknow after a “security threat” was detected on board.
An IndiGo spokesperson said that a “security threat was noticed onboard IndiGo flight 6E 6650 operating from Delhi to Bagdogra on 18 January due to which the aircraft was diverted to Lucknow”.
“Following the established protocol, we informed the relevant authorities immediately and are fully cooperating with them in carrying out the necessary security checks,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
“We are making all efforts to minimise inconvenience to our customers, including offering them refreshments and sharing regular updates. As always, safety and security of our customers, crew and aircraft are our topmost priorities,” it added.
A handwritten note on a tissue paper was found in the aircraft bearing the words “Plane mein bomb” (bomb on the plane), the police said.
According to a statement issued by the Lucknow police commissionerate, after landing, the aircraft was immediately parked in an isolation bay.
The aircraft was thoroughly “inspected and no suspicious material was found during the security sweep carried out by bomb disposal squads and other security agencies”, the police said in another statement issued Sunday evening.
The aircraft subsequently took off safely for its scheduled destination at 4.40 pm on Sunday. The situation at the airport is completely normal. No untoward incident was reported during the entire operation, the statement added.
