Fake bomb threat delays IndiGo flight from Lucknow to Delhi

An IndiGo flight carrying nearly 180 passengers from Lucknow to Delhi was delayed Friday after the aircraft received a bomb threat that turned out to be a hoax. The crew got word of a possible bomb threat shortly before the plane was due to take off, news agency PTI reported.

The Delhi-bound flight was scheduled to depart Lucknow at 10:45 am. After the threat was reported, the aircraft stopped on the apron while security teams launched a thorough inspection of the plane and surrounding areas as a precaution, officials said.

The scare started when a tissue paper bearing the word "bomb" was found inside one of the aircraft's lavatories. Subsequent checks confirmed the threat was a hoax, PTI reported, citing sources.

Officials said no explosive device or suspicious material was found during the search. They added that required legal formalities and security protocols were being carried out.

The incident comes a day after a note found aboard an IndiGo flight sparked a security alert at Kerala's Kannur International Airport. That message was later found to have been "misinterpreted" as a bomb threat by the cabin crew of a Mumbai-Kannur flight, leading to an emergency response Wednesday.

According to police, the note was discovered in a waste bin inside a lavatory after the aircraft landed at Kannur around 3:20 pm. The cabin crew alerted Air Traffic Control and airport authorities, triggering security protocols.

Authorities issued an emergency warning and shifted the aircraft to an isolation bay for detailed inspection. Bomb disposal and dog squad teams searched the plane but did not find any suspicious object or explosive material.

Police later clarified the note did not contain any bomb threat and had been "misinterpreted" by the cabin crew, ending the security scare.