Drunken passenger threatens to blow up Indian aircraft

KOLKATA: A drunken Mexican passenger on an Indian flight from Bangkok to Delhi allegedly threatened to blow up the plane with 87 people on board, prompting the pilot to make an emergency landing at the airport on Wednesday.

Eduardo Antonio, who allegedly made the threat after punching a fellow traveller and misbehaving with others, was arrested after the plane landed at N S C Bose International Airport. However, no bomb or explosives were found in his possession, an Airports Authority of India spokesman said.

The pilot of flight IC-854, alerted by crew members, contacted the airport's air traffic control and sought permission for an emergency landing which was immediately granted, he said.

The plane had 82 passengers and five crew members on board.

Antonio, who was in an inebriated condition and was involved in an altercation with others, threatened that he had a bomb and would blow up the plane. But the crew overpowered him.

"The passenger did not have any bomb or explosives on him," the spokesman said.

The flight landed at 3:20 PM as commandos, security personnel and a bomb squad were standing by. The aircraft was taken to an isolation bay and the passengers disembarked.

It took off at 6.05 pm for Delhi after security agencies completed necessary drills, sources in Indian said. "The security drill is an elaborate process and it has to be finished as per the rules," a source said.