Hoax calls delay Srinagar-bound IndiGo flight from New Delhi

A phone call claiming there was a bomb in an IndiGo aircraft, scheduled to fly to Srinagar via Jammu from New Delhi  today, sent the IGI airport staff into a tizzy, but it turned out to be a hoax, airport sources said.

Just when 180 passengers had boarded the flight 6E-552, a call was received at the IndiGo call centre that the Airbus A-320 had a bomb planted in it, the sources said. The aircraft, scheduled to depart at 1055 hours, was at that time parked in a bay.

The passengers were immediately asked to de-board the aircraft and all luggage was taken off. There was no cargo in the flight, the sources said.

An emergency committee was constituted, as part of the "routine drill", which found that the call was a hoax. The phone call was described as "non-specific", they said.

The passengers were later subjected to full frisking for a second time and all bags screened thoroughly again, before the flight left for Jammu.

"We received a call at our call centre, informing us of a security threat on IndiGo flight 6E552 from Delhi to Jammu departing at 10.55am.

"Keeping passenger safety in mind, a mandatory security drill was carried out as per directions of the security agencies," an airline spokesperson said.

IndiGo president Aditya Ghosh said the airline was "committed to providing the highest levels of safety and security for its passengers at all time."