New Delhi: "Mere paas bomb hai (kya)!". This comment reportedly made by a passenger who was perhaps "exasperated" by strict pre-boarding checks at Varanasi Airport on Sunday caused a security scare and delayed her Akasa flight to Mumbai by several hours. Incidentally two days back (on Sept 29) a hoax bomb threat was received for Akasa's Mumbai-Varanasi flight when it was enroute.
On Sunday, say sources, a lady passenger got "irritated" by the strict security check. "Her comments led to CISF getting alerted and then the protocol to deal with such situations was triggered which involved asking all passengers who had boarded the aircraft to alight.
Then the aircraft, passengers and their baggage were thoroughly checked again. The aircraft got the security clearance to take off for Mumbai by evening," say sources.
The flight, which was supposed to take off for Mumbai at 2.50 pm is now expected to take off later tonight.
In a statement, Akasa said: “Akasa Air flight QP 1497, scheduled to fly from Varanasi to Mumbai at 2.50 pm on October 1, 2023, received a security alert during the boarding process. We have followed all required security procedures and all passengers have been deplaned and are safe. Akasa Air is working with local authorities to complete all subsequent security requirements.”
While on Sunday the security scare for Akasa's Varanasi -Mumbai flight happened on the ground, two days back the threat call was received on ground when the aircraft was on its way from Mumbai to Varanasi. The pilots were then alerted and given priority landing following which thorough checks were conducted before being cleared to get airborne again for the next sector it was to operate that day. That threat proved to be a hoax.
01/10/2023 Saurabh Sinha/Times of India
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