RAF deploys fighter jets to intercept plane heading to Heathrow following ’bomb threat’
The captain of the plane could be heard telling air traffic control that the aircraft had a "suspected bomb" on board.
RAF fighter jets were scrambled to intercept an Air India passenger plane after the Boeing 777-300 reported a bomb on board.
The plane, an Air India flight from Mumbai to London, circled above Norfolk en route to Heathrow before the Typhoon intercepters met the plane.
A Dutch plane enthusiast recorded audio of the pilots alerting air traffic control. The captain can be heard saying: "We have a suspected bomb on board, requesting priority landing."
The crew of flight AI129 had reportedly been told to fly north and enter a holding pattern.
The bomb threat was later revealed to be among a series of bomb threat hoaxes that have plagued Indian carriers today, The Times of India reports.
The flight path of the flight from Mumbai to London Heathrow on October 17. (Image: Flightradar)
The Boeing 777 appeared to be descending to land as expected at Heathrow following a nine-and-a-half-hour flight from the Indian city before changing course at 12:24 p.m. and flying north across East Anglia.
Flight-tracking website Flightradar showed AI129 circling over the Suffolk-Norfolk border before resuming its route to London.
After being held over east London due to air-traffic control congestion, it landed around an hour and a half late.
The RAF confirmed the Typhoon jets had been stood down, and the flight was “released to continue to its original destination under the direction of civilian air traffic control”.
A Royal Air Force spokesperson told The Standard: “We can confirm that RAF Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon fighter aircraft from RAF Coningsby were launched this afternoon to investigate a civilian aircraft.
RAF QRA
— Air & Sea Intel (@air_intel) October 17, 2024
Typhoon
ZK437 along with another one scrambled to intercept Air India 777 AIC129 VT-ALX due to a suspected bomb threat pic.twitter.com/GdYysx5bzT
“Following an uneventful interception, the aircraft was released to continue to its original destination under the direction of civilian air traffic control. This incident is now being handled under the control of civilian authorities.”
Norfolk Police reassured residents in East Anglia that the loud noise was caused by the aircraft jet engines and not an explosion.
UK-bound aircraft subject to serious terror concerns are generally directed to Stansted Airport in Essex, the UK’s designated airport for dealing with security situations due to its close proximity to RAF bases in Suffolk and Lincolnshire.
Threats reportedly affected five Air India flights on Thursday, including AI129, Delhi - New York JFK (AI 119), a Chennai-Singapore service and two domestic flights, according to The Times of India.
IndiGo and Vistara also reportedly had threats on two flights each. Air India Express, a subsidiary of Air India, is also believed to have received similar messages for six flights, but Air India is yet to comment.
Almost 40 flights are reported to have received threats since the start of the week, according to the outlet.
On Wednesday, India’s civil aviation minister, Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, said his department monitored the situation closely and made "every possible effort" to keep flight operations safe.
In a statement on X, he wrote: "We are committed to maintaining the highest security standards, and passenger safety remains our priority."
Air India doesn’t have listed press office contact details and is yet to comment.
Read more similar news:
Comments:
comments powered by Disqus
