The Singapore Armed Forces were deployed on Tuesday and sent two fighter jets to escort an inbound Air India Express
plane away from populated areas following a bomb threat that was made. The Air India Express flight was IX684, inbound from Madurai to Singapore, and the airline had advised they had received an email alluding to that there was a bomb
onboard the plane.
Ground Based Air Defence, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal activated
Taking all precautions, Singapore’s Ground Based Air Defence (GBAD), and Explosive Ordnance Dispoal (EOD) teams were activated. The aircraft was escorted away from populated areas, and once able to land at 22:04 that evening, the plane was handed over to local police. Investigations are ongoing. Singapore’s Defense Minister, Ng Eng Hen, confirmed that the Indian carrier had received an email noting that a bomb was onboard the Air India Express aircraft, and following that information, all precautions were taken:
Ng Eng Hen, publically shared on X (Twitter) how his defense team managed the situation:
“Air India Express received an email that there was a bomb on board flight AXB684 that was bound for Singapore. Two of our RSAF F-15SGs scrambled and escorted the plane away from populated areas, to finally land safely at Singapore Changi Airport at around 10:04pm tonight,”
“Many thanks to the dedication and professionalism of our SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) and Home Team that keep us safe in our homes, even when threats exist around us.”
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Multiple bomb threats on the same day
On Tuesday, various Indian airlines were the center of bomb threat bombardment, with at least six threats received from many Indian carriers. While two Singapore F-15
fighter jets were deployed for the Madurai— Singapore Changi Airport
flight, other services were diverted, such as an Air India flight from Delhi to Chicago O’Hare International Airport
, which was diverted to the northern Canadian city of
Iqaluit
under precaution.
For the Iqaluit diverted flight, all passengers were re-screened once the aircraft had landed, as per security protocol. Air India
also activated agencies at the airport to assist passengers until their flights could resume.
Photo: Air India Express
Of the six threats, three were for international services, and four were for aircraft traveling within or to India. However, Indian security agencies confirmed them as hoaxes. Other flights affected include:
- Akasa: Bagdogra to Bengaluru
- Air India Express: Jaipur to Ayodhya
- IndiGo: Dammam to Lucknow
- SpiceJet: Darbhanga to Mumbai
On Monday, October 14, two additional bomb threats were issued to an Air India flight that was traveling from Mumbai to New York City
, in addition to two IndiGo international flights originating from Mumbai. All three of these were also declared as a hoax.
According to The Hindu, the Star Alliance and flag carrier Air India have said in a statement that they will consider legal action against those responsible for the hoax threatsto recover damages incurred by the airline.
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