A Goa-bound Azur Air chartered flight from Russia’s Perm International Airport received a bomb threat in the wee hours of Saturday, January 21. Airport sources have revealed that the plane carrying 238 passengers had to be diverted to Uzbekistan following the security threat. The flight was scheduled to land at the Dabolim airport in South Goa at 4.15 am.
“An Azur Air chartered flight from Russia’s Perm International Airport to Goa received a security threat. Following this, the flight was diverted to Uzbekistan. A total of 238 passengers, including 2 infants, and 7 crew are onboard,” Airport sources told news agency ANI.
The flight (AZV2463) operated by Azur Air was diverted before it entered the Indian air space, a senior police official informed. “It was diverted after an email was received at 12.30 am by the Dabolim airport director that mentioned about a bomb being planted on the plane,” the official added.
The incident comes days after the bomb scare on an Azur Air flight from Moscow to Goa. The flight with 236 passengers and 8 crew members was diverted to Gujarat after the threat. All passengers were urgently evacuated and safely directed into the airport lounge inside the Jamnagar terminal building.
Russian Embassy issues statement on Moscow-Goa flight scare
The Russian Embassy in India had on Monday, January 9 issued a statement confirming that it was alerted by the Indian authorities about the alleged bomb scare on the Azur Air flight to Goa. “The aircraft made an emergency landing at Jamnagar Indian Air Force Base. Everyone on board is safe. The authorities are conducting a thorough inspection of the aircraft,” the Embassy said in the statement.
Following the scare, the plane was ordered an emergency landing in Gujarat, where inspection and security checks were conducted to find the explosives onboard, an Indian Ministry of Civil Aviation source told Sputnik.
“We are not ruling out any possibilities. The airport authority of India is screening the nationality of the passengers who were onboard the Moscow-Goa flight,” Ashok Yadav, Range IG, Rajkot Range had told Republic TV.
