A Mumbai-Delhi Jet Airways flight was diverted to Ahmedabad after an on-board threat was perceived in the early hours of Monday.
According to officials, the flight, carrying 115 passengers and seven crew members, was diverted after one of the crew found a typewritten note in one of the restrooms, claiming that there were hijackers on board, at around 3:30 am on Monday.
The flight was delayed by over seven hours as a result of extensive checks of the baggage, passengers and aircraft that were carried out by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel at Ahmedabad.
The local Aerodrome Committee at Ahmedabad, that deals with hijack situations at the airport, was also quickly convened to assemble and monitor the situation.
“In keeping with Standard Operating Procedure, the pilot landed the flight at Ahmedabad. The guests and crew were safely deplaned and the aircraft was subjected to a full security check,” a Jet Airways spokesperson said.
Officials said that the flight was declared safe and left for Delhi following the check. The CISF and the Ahmedabad police are conducting inquiries.
CISF officials said that the matter is being treated as a hoax.
“The aircraft had taken off from Mumbai around 2.55 a.m. and was mid-air when a typewritten note about hijackers and explosives onboard was received. The aircraft landed at 3.48 a.m. and was thoroughly checked before being cleared for departure to Delhi at 10.46 a.m.,” a senior CISF officer said.
The typed note, written in Urdu and English, read, “Flight number 9W 339 is covered by hijackers and aircraft should not land and be flown straight to POK. 12 people on board. If you put landing gear you will hear people dying. Don’t take it as a joke. Cargo area contains explosives and will blast if you land in Delhi.”
It was signed off saying “Allah is great”.
