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Bomb hoax: Canadian Air Force plane ferries stranded Air India passengers from Iqaluit to Chicago
The flight had 211 passengers, including 20 crew members was diverted to Iqaluit airport following a bomb threat.
A Canadian Air Force aircraft is ferrying stranded passengers from an Air India flight to Chicago, after the flight was diverted to Iqaluit airport following a bomb threat.
“Passengers are being ferried on a Canadian Air Force aircraft that has taken off from Iqaluit at 03:54 hrs UTC and is expected to land in Chicago at around 07:48 hrs UTC,” Air India said in a statement on Wednesday.
The UTC (Coordinated Universal Time) of 03:54 hours was around 11.54 pm local time in Iqaluit.
The Air India flight, which took off from Delhi on October 15, received a bomb threat online and was subsequently diverted to Canada, where it landed at the Iqaluit Airport.
“Flight AI127 operating from Delhi to Chicago on October 15, 2024, was the subject of a security threat posted online and, as a precautionary measure, has landed at Iqaluit Airport in Canada,” Air India said in a statement.
The flight had 211 passengers, including 20 crew members. Air India had said that all the passengers were being re-screened by the airlines as per the security protocols.
In the past few days, multiple flights have been on the receiving end of bomb threats, raising safety concerns when it comes to air travel.
On Monday, an Air India flight from Mumbai to New York was diverted to Delhi following a bomb threat. Following standard security protocols, a thorough inspection was conducted and no suspicious item was found inside the aircraft. Air India also said that the carrier as well as other local airlines have been subject to a number of threats in recent days.
Ten flights, including the Air India plane received bomb-threat messages through social media handles in the past 48 hours, prompting security agencies to reportedly undertake specific counter-terrorist drills at various airports.
With PTI inputs
