139 passengers were deboarded from an Indigo flight in Kochi after receiving a bomb threat; the flight was later cleared for take-off after investigation.
A total of 139 passengers on board an Indigo flight from Kochi to Bengaluru were deboarded at the international airport here on Monday after receiving a call regarding the presence of a bomb in the aircraft. The flight -- 6E6482 -- was scheduled to depart for Bengaluru at 10.30 AM, CIAL said in a statement.
The police registered a case and have started an investigation to trace the origin of the internet call through which the threat was made. (MINT_PRINT)
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However, as the aircraft was getting ready for departure, a bomb threat call was received at the airport's CISF control room specifically about the Bengaluru bound flight, the Cochin International Airport Ltd (CIAL) said.
"Subsequently the aircraft was shifted to the isolation parking bay. All 139 passengers -- including an infant -- were offloaded and shifted to the security hold area," it said. As per protocol, a bomb threat assessment committee chaired by the Airport Director was convened and interventions as per established procedure involving CISF Quick Response Team (QRT), bomb squad, State Police, Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) and airport security were carried out, the statement said.
At the same time, rescreening of the baggage was also carried out and the entire exercise was completed by 1 PM, it said and added that nothing suspicious was found in the baggage. Indigo in a statement said that a hoax bomb threat was received today regarding its Kochi-Bengaluru flight and as per protocol, the aircraft was taken to a remote bay for search by the security agencies at the Kochi airport.
"After thorough checks and investigation, the aircraft was cleared for take-off. We regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers," it said. The flight departed for Bengaluru at 2.24 PM. The police, meanwhile, registered a case and have started an investigation to trace the origin of the internet call through which the threat was made.
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.
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