Air India’s Mumbai-Newark flight lands at London airport after bomb threat

Air India initially tweeted that a bomb threat had prompted the landing but later deleted it, calling the incident a ‘security threat’.

The bomb threat on an Air India passenger aircraft flying to the United States on Thursday was a hoax, an official at the state-run airline told Reuters, adding that the plane is back in the air, reports Reuters.

Air India’s Mumbai-Newark flight lands at London Stansted Airport after bomb threat, tweets airline. (HT File)

A hoax call was received at Mumbai airport, the official said, adding that there is no security threat.

Earlier, an Air India Boeing 777 from Mumbai to Newark airport in the United States made an emergency landing in London Stansted airport on Thursday morning due to a ‘security threat’, the airline said.

Air India initially tweeted that a bomb threat had prompted the landing but later deleted it, calling the incident a ‘security threat’.

The flight was escorted by two Typhoons of the Royal Air Force and local residents said they heard a loud noise as the planes passed over their houses.

The airport said in a statement: “An Air India Boeing 777 diverted into London Stansted Airport at approximately 10:15 hrs and landed safely with Essex Police in attendance. It is parked on an isolated stand away from the normal airport operations.

The Ministry of Defence said the Royal Air Force scrambled fighter jets to escort the India passenger plane to London Stansted Airport.