An early morning IndiGo flight on Saturday from Chennai to Dubai was delayed due to a bomb threat. IndiGo issued a statement that said:

"Due to a specific bomb threat, IndiGo flight 6E 65 from Chennai to Dubai was delayed. As per protocol, the aircraft was taken to a remote bay and bomb threat process was initiated. The flight was operated after a delay of about six hours from Chennai."

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The safety protocols are in place

On August 27, IndiGo flight 6E 65 was scheduled to depart Chennai International Airport (MAA) at 07:35. The flight was to be operated with a brand new Airbus A320-200neo, which, according to ch-aviation.com, was delivered to IndiGo on July 28, 2022. The A320neo is registered VT-IIZ, and the manufacturer's serial number is 10986. It has a 3-3 cabin layout with 186 seats at a pitch of 30 inches (76.2cm). The airplane has two CFM Leap-1A26 engines and a current market value of $53 million.

Various reports say the drama started when the city police control room received an anonymous phone call. When bomb threats like this are received, police, security agencies, airports and airlines immediately activate well-established and practiced protocols. The first step is not to question if the threat is real but rather to isolate the aircraft and determine whether or not a bomb or other explosive device is on the airplane. In this instance, the Airport police and the Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) were quickly called in and activated their protocols.

Airport authorities moved the Airbus A320neo to a designated and secluded airport bay, where the BDDS and police thoroughly searched the aircraft. Fortunately, no explosive materials were found on the IndiGo plane, and it later departed for Dubai International Airport (DXB) more than six hours late at 14:00. Flight 6E 65 ultimately arrived in Dubai at 16:06, covering the 2,935 kilometers (1,824 miles) in 3:36 hours. After a short turnaround, it departed DXB at 17:47 as flight 6E 146 to Chandigarh International Airport (IXC). The reports say that passengers and staff members were provided accommodations during the delay.

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No half measures with bomb threats

Police quickly traced the hoax call to a Chennai man and arrested him. The same reports describe him as an "inebriated or drunk" man trying to prevent two family members from leaving India. The Hindustan Times names the 43-year-old man as Ranjith, a travel shop owner. Police said he committed the act "as he was upset with his family who was flying in the aircraft." He was quickly arrested and taken into police custody.

On August 7, IndiGo flight 6E 556 from Jaipur to Bengaluru was involved in a bomb-threat emergency. Shortly before landing, a handwritten message was found in a toilet that said a bomb was onboard. The BDDS, dog squad and other security personnel searched the aircraft on landing, but no bomb was found. All passengers were required to supply a sample of their handwriting, which was sent to forensic specialists for examination. There are no half measures when bomb threats are received, and on both occasions, Indian authorities have handled the issue in a textbook way.

Source: Hindustan Times