Kolkata bound IndiGo flight receives bomb threat, forced to land at Raipur airport

NEW DELHI: An IndiGo flight from Nagpur to Kolkata was forced to make an emergency landing at Raipur Airport on Sunday after receiving a bomb threat, sparking fears among passengers and crew. The plane had 187 passengers on board and is being thoroughly checked by security teams, and investigations are ongoing, Kirtan Rathore, Additional Superintendent of Police told news agency ANI.

This incident adds to a growing number of bomb hoaxes plaguing Indian aviation. In mid-October alone, more than 15 false bomb threats were reported in the Pune sector, with over 500 incidents across the country since then. As a result, numerous flights have faced heightened security checks, leading to delays.

Earlier last week, a similar scare occurred aboard a Vistara Airways flight from Delhi, though no suspicious items were found. The trend of false threats has raised alarm, especially after a passenger at Kolkata Airport reported a potential bomb threat on a Chennai-bound IndiGo flight. However, the claim was later deemed a hoax, and the passenger was detained for providing false information.