On January 9th, an Azur Air flight bound for Goa was diverted to the Jamnagar airport in Gujarat due to a bomb threat. The flight, carrying 235 passengers, landed at an Indian Air Force (IAF) airbase. The National Security Guard (NSG) searched the aircraft and found nothing suspicious, but as a precaution, the plane was taken to an isolated area of the military airport.
IAF activated security protocols and had 50 minutes to prepare for the plane’s landing. The passengers were safely evacuated with the help of ground staff and Garud Special Forces.
Defence officials said: “After taking the aircraft to an isolated location at the military airport which is mainly responsible for the safety of the industrial hub, the IAF officials instructed the ground staff and Garud Special Forces personnel to help in the safe evacuation of passengers on board,”
Air Commodore Anand Sondhi and his team of IAF officials took swift action to ensure the comfort of the passengers after the flight’s diversion. The National Security Guard (NSG) bomb squad was promptly flown in on a special Air Force aircraft to scan the Azur Air plane and the passengers’ luggage. Once cleared, the flight was able to continue on to its final destination at the Dabolim airport in Goa.
The Russian Embassy was informed by Indian authorities of a potential bomb threat on an Azur Air flight travelling from Moscow to Goa. The plane made an emergency landing at the Jamnagar Indian Air Force Base. The statement from the Russian Embassy assured that all passengers were safe and that authorities were inspecting the aircraft.
