Airports and flights are fully packed this festive season. At such times, a simple rumour can cause panic across the crowd. One such incident occurred on the IndiGo flight 6E 1468 on October 19th. A hoax bomb threat and bad weather changed the journey for 169 passengers aboard. Here’s how the event unfolded.
IndiGo Flight 6E 1468 Diverted To Bengaluru After Bomb Hoax
According to a report by Travel and Tour World and TOI, the flight was scheduled to take off from Dubai International Airport around 11:25 am. But while checking the Airbus before flying, an airport staff member discovered a note which had “bomb on board” written over it on the flight’s toilet. Post the discovery, an extensive search was launched, which went on for two hours. Later, officials confirmed that there was no presence of any bomb on board and that it was simply a hoax threat. Finally, after the entire dramatic event, the flight took off around 1:53 pm.
Bad Weather Further Delayed The Flight’s Departure In Mangaluru
Just when the passengers took a breath of relief after the hoax bomb threat on flight and the happiness of reaching their destination, bad weather followed. This further delayed the departure timings of the IndiGo Flight 6E 1468. Where the plan was scheduled to land around 6:42 pm, it finally arrived at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport by 7:23 pm.
Post-Arrival Care
After the hoax bomb threat and the weather disruptions, the flight was carefully taken to the isolation bay. As the pilot had already informed the ATC, this was just a precautionary measure due to the dual events. The Bomb Threat Assessment Committee took immediate action with additional screenings and sniffer dogs. After a thorough checkup, the team confirmed the threat to be a hoax.
IndiGo’s Support For Passengers In Such Inconvenient Times
Passengers were deboarded and offered options as per their convenience. They could either take a full refund or reschedule on a different service to Mangaluru. By the time all safety checks were in place, the clock ticked in 10:40 pm, which was too late to depart for Mangaluru. The passengers were offered refreshments from the airline.
The best bit was that all the 169 passengers on board landed safely.
Cover Image Courtesy: IndiGo/Website
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