Why did Lufthansa Airlines flight from Frankfurt to Hyderabad make a U-turn? Details
In the interest of safety, the Lufthansa airline was advised to divert back to the origin or the nearest suitable airport
A Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt to Hyderabad was forced to return to Germany on June 15 following a “bomb threat,” officials confirmed on Monday.
According to Hyderabad airport officials, the threat was received via email at around 6:01 PM on Saturday. “A bomb threat assessment committee was formed, and all procedures were followed as per SOP,” said an official source, reported ANI.
Why did Lufthansa flight make U-turn
Lufthansa flight LH752 had departed from Frankfurt and was scheduled to land in Hyderabad early Sunday morning. However, after receiving the threat, authorities decided not to allow the aircraft to enter Indian airspace.
An official from Hyderabad airport told ANI that the plane returned to Germany because the threat came while it was still outside India. Lufthansa also confirmed, "We did not receive a permit to land in Hyderabad and that’s why the aircraft took a u-turn and returned."
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“In the interest of safety, the airline was advised to divert back to the origin or the nearest suitable airport,” an official source told news agency ANI.
A Lufthansa spokesperson added that the flight was diverted as a precaution. “Out of an abundance of caution, Lufthansa flight LH752 from Frankfurt to Hyderabad returned to its point of departure after authorities were made aware of a bomb threat posted on social media,” the spokesperson said.
“The safety of our passengers and crew is Lufthansa's highest priority. Affected passengers were provided with accommodation in Frankfurt and will be continuing their journey to Hyderabad today,” it added.
Authorities have launched an investigation into the threat.
Passenger recounts mid-air announcement
A passenger on board the Hyderabad-bound Lufthansa flight LH752 said on Sunday that they were informed mid-air about the flight being denied permission to land in Hyderabad. Speaking to PTI from Frankfurt Airport, the passenger said, “Hyderabad hasn’t given permission to land the flight there.”
Describing the situation, the person added, “It was a smooth flight and after about two hours in the air, we were told that we would be returning to Frankfurt.” She was travelling from the US to visit her mother in Hyderabad.
A spokesperson for Frankfurt Airport confirmed that the flight had landed back in Germany.
According to officials cited by PTI, Air Traffic Control at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad received a message shortly after takeoff that the aircraft would be returning to Frankfurt.
This is the second such incident in recent days. On June 13, an Air India flight from Phuket to Delhi received a bomb threat and had to make an emergency landing in Thailand.
