The emergency services of Silchar Airport, India, were called in after a suspicious note warning about a bomb threat was found onboard SpiceJet aircraft.
According to the Airport Authority of India (AAI), a piece of paper with a bomb threat note was found onboard the SpiceJet plane soon after the landing at Silchar Airport (IXS) in the afternoon of March 16, 2021.
The incident occurred after the airline’s Boeing 737, registered as VT-SLD, had just arrived from Guwahati Airport (GAU) with 109 passengers onboard and a slip of paper with a bomb threat was detected under a passenger seat. The jet was supposed to take off for New Delhi (DEL) later on the same day, but the flight was delayed.
Due to the threat, which later turned out to be a hoax, the jet was immediately taken to a distant bay and searched by security officials. Meanwhile, as a precautionary measure, passengers of the previous flight were stopped from exiting the arrival lounge.
“A bomb threat on flight number SG-8152 was detected at 14.15 hrs at Silchar Airport on 16 March 2021. [The flight] SG 8152 arrived at Silchar Airport from Guwahati and the touchdown was at 13.58 hrs. Considering the threat, all agencies were alerted,“ PK Gorai, the Director of Silchar Airport, was quoted in the AAI’s statement.
“After having all the mandatory security checks and SoPs [Standard Operating Procedures – ed. note] followed, the team cleared the aircraft to fit for flying, and it was thoroughly checked. At 18.30 hrs, the flight was still at bay, and after meeting with the agencies, we decided to resume the services of the said flight,” Gorai added.
When the search was completed, the jet was approved for departure to New Delhi with 66 passengers onboard with no further incidents.