A US-bound flight of Air India from Mumbai made a precautionary landing in London on Thursday following a bomb threat telephonic call to Mumbai airport, the airline said. The flight AI 191, escorted by UK Royal Air Force’s Eurofighter Typhoon fighter aircraft, landed at the Stansted airport in London around 9.50 am, Air India tweeted.
“AI 191 Mumbai-Newark of June 27 has made a precautionary landing at London’s Stansted airport due to a bomb threat,” the airline said.
News agency ANI quoted an Air India official saying that the bomb threat call was a hoax. “Air India 191 Mumbai-Newark flight has landed safely at London and all passengers are safe. Earlier, the flight had made a precautionary landing due to a bomb threat that was declared hoax,” the news agency quoted an Air India spokesperson as saying.
“The plane is currently at the airport. All the 327 passengers are deplaned and served snacks and other beverages. All passengers are in airport premises,” Air India Spokesperson Dhananjay Kumar said.
As per London Stansted Airport’s official Twitter handle, an Air India Boeing 777 aircraft was diverted to the airport and landed safely with Essex Police in attendance. “It is parked on an isolated stand away from the normal airport operations. Our runway has now re-opened and is fully operational,” the airport said.
“Quick Reaction Alert Typhoons were scrambled earlier from @RAFConingsby to intercept a civilian aircraft; this was safely escorted to Stansted,” Royal Air Force said.