Air India flight to New York returns to Mumbai after security threat
Air India said that the aircraft is currently undergoing mandatory checks by security agencies, and the carrier is fully cooperating with the authorities.
Air India Flight AI119, travelling from Mumbai to New York, was forced to return on Monday after a potential security threat was detected mid-flight.
Following the necessary protocols, the flight landed safely at 10:25 am local time. Air India said that the aircraft is currently undergoing mandatory checks by security agencies, and the carrier is fully cooperating with the authorities.
“The aircraft is undergoing mandatory checks by security agencies, and Air India is extending its full cooperation to the authorities. The flight has been rescheduled to operate at 0500 Hrs of 11 March 2025, and all passengers have been offered hotel accommodation, meals, and other assistance until then,” Air India said in a statement
Air India assured that the safety of its passengers and crew is its highest priority.
“Our colleagues on the ground are making sure to minimise the inconvenience caused to our passengers by this disruption. As always, Air India accords the highest priority to the safety of passengers and crew,” the statement reads.
The flight originally scheduled from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai to John F Kennedy Airport in New York, typically takes around 15 hours for the journey.
Carrying 303 passengers and 19 crew members, the Boeing 777 altered its flight path over Azerbaijan and returned to Mumbai. After landing, bomb-detection procedures were carried out, but the threat was later confirmed to be a hoax, NDTV reported.
In 2024, consecutive bomb threats received by dozens of flights shook airlines and raised significant concerns about aviation safety protocols in the country. Although all the threats were hoaxes, they caused severe disruptions to airline operations and inconvenienced passengers and crew members.
When a flight receives a bomb threat mid-air, an alert is triggered, and the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) at the airport is promptly convened. The committee then determines the next course of action after assessing the credibility of the threat.
