IndiGo flight diverted to Mumbai after bomb scare.
ATC got the alert early morning and quickly coordinated with IndiGo and security teams to ensure everyone’s safety.
New Delhi: An IndiGo flight travelling from Kuwait to Hyderabad was diverted to Mumbai early Tuesday morning after authorities received a bomb threat via email, prompting an immediate security response and briefly alarming passengers and their families. The threatening message, reportedly sent to officials at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, warned that an explosive device had been planted onboard the aircraft, leaving no option but to activate emergency protocols mid-flight.
The aircraft, an Airbus operating as IndiGo flight 6E1234, was carrying 228 passengers and six crew members when the alert came in. Air Traffic Control (ATC) received the intimation in the early hours and swiftly coordinated with the airline and security agencies. Together, they worked out a diversion plan to ensure the aircraft could land safely without causing panic onboard. Following these instructions, the pilots diverted the plane to Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, where it landed safely around 6:30 a.m.
By the time the aircraft approached Mumbai, the airport had already gone into emergency mode. Security teams had been deployed, including bomb disposal units, sniffer dog squads, and fire and rescue personnel, all positioned in anticipation of the aircraft’s arrival. The moment the plane touched down, ground crews guided it to a designated isolation bay, away from the main terminal and other aircraft, to ensure maximum safety.
Passengers were disembarked gradually and escorted to a secure holding area as security personnel began their inspections. Many appeared shaken but relieved, later recalling the tension on board once they learned about the threat. For some, the early-morning diversion triggered frantic calls to relatives waiting in Hyderabad, while others expressed gratitude for the crew’s calm handling of the situation. As of now, IndiGo has not yet released an official statement, though the airline is expected to provide details once the preliminary investigation concludes.
This incident is part of a worrying pattern of recent bomb threats and hoax alerts targeting flights, schools, and public institutions across the country. These threats, though mostly false, have led to repeated disruptions, heavy deployment of security resources, and growing anxiety among travellers and parents.
Just a day earlier, a private school in Mira Road in Maharashtra’s Thane district received a threatening email claiming that a bomb had been planted on the premises. Authorities evacuated the building and conducted a thorough search, eventually determining that the threat was a hoax. Despite the false alarm, parents expressed concern that such incidents have become increasingly frequent.
A similar situation unfolded on November 23, when a Bahrain-to-Hyderabad flight was also diverted to Mumbai after RGIA authorities received a bomb threat email. In that case, too, the threat turned out to be false after security teams carried out checks.
Airlines have found themselves repeatedly navigating these tense situations. In an earlier statement after another hoax incident involving flight 6E 6382 from Chandigarh to Mumbai, IndiGo had emphasized its commitment to passenger safety.
Authorities stress that even false threats require full-scale responses because they cannot take chances when hundreds of lives are involved. Each alert sets in motion an elaborate chain of actions involving multiple agencies, from ATC and airport management to police, fire teams, and bomb disposal experts. While these operations often turn out to be precautionary, they ensure that every possibility is addressed with seriousness and urgency.
Investigators will now work to trace the source of the latest email. Cybercrime units are expected to assist in tracking the sender, determining whether the threat originated domestically or internationally, and assessing whether it is connected to the earlier hoax messages.
For now, passengers and their families are simply relieved the situation ended safely. Authorities, however, remain alert, recognizing that the increasing frequency of such threats requires both vigilance and swift action to maintain the safety and confidence of the travelling public.