Singapore scrambles fighter jets to escort Air India Express plane after bomb threat
At least 10 flights from India have received hoax bomb threats in last 48 hours
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Singapore’s military scrambled two fighter jets after an Air India Express plane bound for the Changi airport received a bomb threat, the latest in a string of apparent hoaxes that have disrupted journeys for hundreds of passengers from India this week.
The threat to the flight from the Madurai airport in India’s south was sent by email to Air India Express on Tuesday, Singapore’s defence minister Ng Eng Hen said.
“Two of our F-15SGs scrambled and escorted the plane away from populated areas, to finally land safely at Singapore Changi airport at around 10.04pm tonight,” he said.
"Our Ground Based Air Defence system and Explosive Ordnance Disposal team were also activated. Once on the ground, the plane was handed to the Airport Police,” he said.
Mr Ng said an investigation was ongoing.
According to flight tracker Flightradar24, the Air Indian Express plane took off from the Madurai airport at about 1.54pm local time and was due to land in Singapore at about 8.50pm. It only landed at 10.04pm after a delay of over an hour.
Singapore police said it was alerted to the bomb threat at around 8.25pm local, about three hours after the flight had taken off.
But “no threat items were found” after the plane landed and was searched.
“The police take security threats seriously and will not hesitate to take action against those who intentionally cause public alarm," police said.
This was only the latest flight from India to have a bomb scare this week.
At least 10 flights received hoax bomb threats through email and social media messages in 48 hours from Monday to Tuesday, Indian media reported.
One of these, an Air India flight from Delhi to Chicago, was forced to make an emergency landing at a remote Canadian airport.
The AI127 flight carrying 211 passengers was diverted to the Iqaluit airport and underwent a security check before leaving for Chicago on Tuesday.
The day before, an Air India flight from Mumbai to New York with 239 passengers onboard was diverted to make an emergency landing in Delhi.
Air India did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Independent. But the airline said on social media that another of its flights bound for Chicago had landed in Canada as a precautionary measure on Tuesday following a security threat posted online.
“Air India notes that it, and other local airlines, have been subject to a number of threats in recent days,” it said. “Though all have subsequently been found to be hoaxes, as a responsible airline operator all threats are taken seriously.”
Air India Express, a subsidiary of Air India, is yet to make a statement.
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