An Indian aircraft made an emergency landing at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) on the afternoon of October 28 due to a bomb threat, marking the third such incident in recent days.

This time, the threat was directed at Air India flight AI-281, which was scheduled to land at 4:05 pm but arrived slightly earlier – at 3:57 pm – as a precautionary measure. The aircraft, an Airbus A-320, was carrying 108 passengers and eight crew members. The bomb threat was reportedly received by Air India’s headquarters in New Delhi through an anonymous call, which was immediately communicated to the airline’s management in Katunayake, who then notified local airport authorities. This triggered the emergency landing protocol.

In response, fire engines, bomb disposal units, medical teams, sniffer dogs, bomb-detection devices, and military commando units were mobilized at the runway, ensuring a high-security environment. Passengers were promptly evacuated, and a thorough inspection of their baggage and cargo was conducted. However, no explosives were found on board, according to a spokesperson from the BIA’s media centre.

This incident follows similar bomb threats on October 19 and 24, where two Vistara flights from Mumbai to Katunayake were also forced to make emergency landings. As of now, more than 300 Indian flights have faced similar bomb threats.

(dailynews.lk)

(This story, originally published by dailynews.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)