Druti Banerjee, Pune
On Friday, at 7:30 AM, while boarding was getting started, Vistara aircraft UK971 from Delhi to Pune received a threat call about the flight carrying a bomb.
A Vistara flight from Delhi to Pune received a bomb threat, forcing the evacuation of all passengers and a thorough inspection of the aircraft. At Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport, the event temporarily caused a hiccup. A call to the GMR contact center earlier today included the bomb threat. People with knowledge of the situation said that boarding had already begun when the call was made at 7.30 a.m.
According to sources within the airline, all of the passengers—a total of more than 100 people—were ordered to wait in the airport after being brought back, and the aircraft was taken to a secluded berth while inspections were being made on it. The UK-971 flight was scheduled to depart Delhi at roughly 8:30 a.m. and arrive in Pune around 10:40 a.m.
As stated by news agency PTI, which cited government sources, the caller said that “three bombs have been kept in flight no. UK971 parked at gate no. 42, and they will explode in an hour.” The call was instantly terminated.
“We confirm that the flight UK971, scheduled to fly from Delhi to Pune on August 18, 2023, is delayed due to mandatory security checks. We have been cooperating with the relevant security agencies on this. In the meantime, we are making all efforts to minimize inconvenience to our customers, including offering them refreshments. At Vistara, the safety and security of our customers and crew are of the utmost importance to us,” a Vistara spokesperson said in a statement.