October 16,:
Following a brief detour to Iqaluit, Canada, as a safety measure in response to a bomb threat, the Air India Express flight has now continued on its route to Chicago. Air India posted a message on X, stating, "Air India is pleased to announce passengers of flight Al127, which was diverted to Iqaluit in Canada on October 15, are on their way to their destination Chicago."
Air India would also like to thank the Canadian government and the staff at Iqaluit Airport for all of their help and cooperation. A plane from the Canadian Air Force departed Iqaluit at 03:54 UTC and is now in route to Chicago, where it is anticipated to touch down at around 07:48 UTC, carrying passengers. The Canadian and Iqaluit airport officials were incredibly helpful to the passengers and Air India during this unexpected inconvenience, and we are really grateful to them," the post continued.
According to Harjit Sajjan, Canada's Minister of Emergency Preparedness, the request to have a plane sent by the Canadian Forces to take the passenger to Chicago has been authorized by the Canadian government. Iqaluit was the site of an emergency landing by Air India Flight 127 today in response to a worldwide threat to aircraft. The airline has failed to find a solution, leaving 211 passengers stuck. In spite of everyone's best efforts, Iqaluit just does not have the infrastructure to accommodate these travelers. In my capacity as Minister of Emergency Preparedness, I have authorized the use of Canadian Forces resources to alleviate the strain on Iqaluit and ensure the safe transportation of passengers to their final destination in Chicago, following discussions with Transport Minister Anita Anand. On X, Sajjan made a post.
An spokesperson with Air India said that on Tuesday, a bomb threat caused a flight from Delhi to Chicago to be redirected to a Canadian airport.
As a safety step, Flight AI127, which was scheduled to depart from Delhi and arrive in Chicago on October 15, 2024, has landed in Canada's Iqaluit Airport. The flight was the target of a security threat that was posted online. According to the established security protocol, the planes and their occupants are undergoing secondary screening. Air India has dispatched agencies to the airport to help passengers until their flight can take off again, the airline announced.
There have been numerous threats against Air India and other local flights in the past few days, according to the carriers.
As a responsible airline operator, we take all threats seriously, even though they have all turned out to be hoaxes. Customers deserve our deepest apologies for the trouble. We deeply apologize any difficulty caused to our valued clients. Air India has announced that it will be fully cooperative with authorities in their efforts to identify and apprehend those responsible for the threats. The airline will also consider taking legal action to recover damages that have been incurred as a result of the disruption and inconvenience caused to passengers.
In the meantime, following a spate of bomb threats received on Monday and Tuesday, the Ministry of Civil Aviation convened a high-level conference on Wednesday.
A security concern stemming from a bomb threat earlier on Monday caused the diversion of a Mumbai to New York flight to Delhi.A spokesperson for Air India had previously stated, "Flight Al119 operating Mumbai to JFK on October 14 received a specific security alert and was diverted to Delhi on instructions of the government’s security regulatory committee." At the Delhi airport terminal, every single passenger has disembarked.
