An Air India flight bound for the United States was forced to make an emergency landing in Canada on Tuesday after a false bomb threat was posted online.
On October 15, Air India flight 127 made an emergency landing in Iqaluit, Nunavut at around 5:21 a.m. It had been en route from New Delhi to Chicago and was carrying 211 passengers, plus crew.
All passengers and crew were able to safely disembark the aircraft after landing, and the RCMP say they were later relocated to the Iqaluit International Airport.
In a statement shared online, Air India confirmed that the emergency landing was prompted by a security threat posted online. The airline confirmed that all passengers were re-screened upon landing in Iqaluit as part of the typical security protocol.
Air India added that it, along with other local airlines, has been subject to an increased number of hoax security threats over the past few days. The airline noted that, although none have been found to be legitimate, the operator is required to take all threats of this nature seriously.
“The inconvenience to customers is sincerely regretted,” the statement added.
According to BBC News, at least ten Indian flights had received hoax bomb threats within 48 hours earlier this week, leading to long delays and diversions for passengers globally. While their report notes that faux airline security threats to airlines are not unusual in India, it’s not currently clear why there’s been a recent and sudden surge.
In the early hours of Wednesday morning, Air India confirmed that the passengers originally on board flight 127 from New Delhi to Chicago were successfully transported from Iqaluit to their destination via a Canadian Air Force aircraft.
The RCMP has confirmed that the ongoing investigation into the hoax threat is being handled by the RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region’s Federal Arctic Unit, with support from the Nunavut RCMP Criminal Operations Unit and the Northwest Regions National Security Unit.
Air India said it is cooperating with authorities to identify those behind the security threats and aim to ensure that they are “held accountable for the disruption and inconvenience caused to passengers.” The carrier said it will also consider legal action against those responsible in an effort to recover costs incurred by the airline following the emergency landing.
Tuesday’s bomb scare came less than a day after Canada and India expelled diplomats following escalating tensions between the two countries over allegations surrounding the death of prominent Sikh leader Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada in 2023. However, this is not believed to be linked to Tuesday’s security threat at this time.
The recent bomb hoax comes almost 40 years after the 1985 Air India bombing, when 329 people died when Air India Flight 182 from Montreal exploded off the coast of Ireland. The victims included 280 Canadians and remains the worst terror attack in Canadian history.
This article’s cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
