Ahmedabad: Tension gripped the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International (SVPI) Airport in Ahmedabad when an IndiGo flight from Goa landed at 1.08 pm on Sunday. Soon after the landing, an announcement was made by the pilot, asking everyone to stay calm and stick to their respective seats. The chaos broke out among the officials because they had just received a bomb threat that turned out to be a hoax later. While this was happening outside, flyers inside the plane were reeling under confusion and fear.
This is the second time in less than a week that Ahmedabad airport handled a fake bomb threat situation. This is also the sixth such incident since May 202. A passenger from Vadodara, Dixita Wagheshwari, shared her experience. "The flight landed on time, but within 10 minutes, the pilot announced a security threat and asked everyone to stay calm. We were stuck on the runway as airport security and local authorities handled the situation. The tension in the plane was high as armed commandos arrived," she said, quoted by Times of India.
Passengers stayed onboard for an hour before being safely escorted off. Dixita added, "We were taken off the plane after several ID checks, then moved to buses. Security teams, including around 25-35 commandos and sniffer dogs, surrounded the area, and bomb disposal squads were on standby."
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Inside the terminal, passengers were given water and refreshments while waiting for updates. The long delay affected many, especially those with connecting flights, according to sources.
The plane was taken to an isolation bay after the hoax bomb threat alert, a spokesperson from IndiGo Airlines confirmed. "Safety of our passengers and crew are our top priority. We followed all procedures and worked closely with the authorities. We regret any inconvenience caused and thank our passengers for their cooperation," the airline said in a statement.