Jeddah-Hyderabad IndiGo flight diverted to Mumbai after hoax bomb threat

The scare later turned out to be a hoax, officials confirmed.

According to IndiGo, flight 6E 68 was en route from Jeddah when the airline received the threat on November 1.

“Following standard security protocol, the aircraft was immediately diverted to Mumbai. Relevant authorities were informed, and the airline fully cooperated as comprehensive security checks were carried out before the aircraft was cleared for onward operations,” IndiGo said in a statement.

The flight, which was originally scheduled to land in Hyderabad at 9:10 a.m., landed in Mumbai instead, where security teams conducted a detailed inspection of the plane.

Aviation tracker Flightradar24 showed that the aircraft resumed its journey after clearance and reached Hyderabad around 4 p.m.

“We made every effort to minimise inconvenience to our passengers by providing refreshments and keeping them updated throughout the delay. The safety and security of our passengers, crew, and aircraft remain our highest priorities,” the airline added.

Sources within IndiGo revealed that the threat email specifically mentioned a “1984 Madras airport-style blast,” referencing the Meenambakkam bombing that occurred on August 2, 1984.

The attack, carried out by the Tamil Eelam Army, killed 33 people at Chennai’s (then Madras) international airport after explosives concealed in luggage detonated near an Air Lanka flight bound for Colombo.

Authorities in Mumbai are investigating the origin of the threat message and have not ruled out the possibility of tracing it to international sources.

Security agencies have increased vigilance at major airports following the incident, even though the threat was later confirmed to be a hoax.