A flight operated by Indian carrier Vistara made an emergency landing at Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) following a bomb threat, according to the Police Media Spokesperson.
“A nonspecific call on a bomb threat had been reported to the captain of the flight 10 minutes before landing at BIA, After authorities were alerted about the threat, in line with the protocol, all relevant authorities were immediately informed and an emergency was declared at the Bandaranaike International Airport. The flight with 96 passengers and 8 crew onboard landed safely at the airport at 14.49 hrs. All passengers were swiftly evacuated from the aircraft as a precautionary measure to the passenger terminal and the safety of all passengers was assured” Sri Lanka’s Bandaranaike Airport said in a statement.
The incident is part of a series of bomb threats targeting Indian airlines over the past week. On Friday, a Vistara flight (UK17) traveling from Delhi to London was diverted to Frankfurt after a similar threat, where security checks were conducted. Additionally, an Air India Express flight (IX-196) from Dubai to Jaipur faced a bomb scare on Saturday, leading to an emergency landing at Jaipur International Airport.
Airport authorities at BIA and the Police Media Division confirmed that no explosive devices have been found onboard the Vistara flight.(Newswire)