Mumbai: Amid heightened cross-border tensions, a bomb threat targeting an IndiGo flight from Chandigarh to Mumbai triggered a security scare at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. The threat, made via a phone call to the Sahar Airport hotline, claimed that an explosive device was on board the incoming flight.
The IndiGo aircraft landed safely in Mumbai on Tuesday night, where it was immediately moved to an isolated area. Security personnel carried out a thorough inspection of the plane, but no explosive or suspicious item was found. “Nothing suspicious has been discovered on board the aircraft,” an official said, adding that the police are continuing their investigation into the origin and credibility of the threat.
The bomb scare occurred against the backdrop of heightened military and civil aviation activity in India. Earlier in the day, India launched “Operation Sindoor,” targeting nine terror-linked sites associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed, Lashkar-e-Taiba, and Hizbul Mujahideen in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. The strikes were carried out in response to the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 26 civilians.
The tense atmosphere has also led to widespread disruption of flight operations. IndiGo, in a post on X (formerly Twitter), announced delays and cancellations affecting routes to and from Srinagar, Jammu, Amritsar, Leh, Chandigarh, and Dharamshala, later expanding the list to include Bikaner due to “evolving airspace conditions.”
According to officials, the ongoing situation has forced IndiGo to cancel nearly 160 domestic flights. At Delhi airport alone, at least 20 flights operated by various airlines have been cancelled. Air India, too, announced a temporary halt to services, stating: “In view of the prevailing situation, Air India has cancelled all its flights to and from the following stations — Jammu, Srinagar, Leh, Jodhpur, Amritsar, Bhuj, Jamnagar, Chandigarh and Rajkot — till 12 noon.”
With investigations ongoing and airspace restrictions still in place, passengers travelling to or from affected regions have been advised to check flight statuses before heading to the airport.