An Aeroflot Boeing 777 passenger plane carrying 400 people on board made an emergency landing at a Delhi airport following a suspected bomb threat, according to reports by Indian media.
The incident took place late on October 13, 2022, when the 7.5-year-old Aeroflot Boeing 777-300ER [extended range, ed.-], registered RA-73144, was performing flight SU232 between Moscow, Russia, and Delhi, India. According to flight history found on Flightradar24.com, the plane took off from Sheremetyevo International Airport (SVO) at around 7.03 p.m. (UTC). There were 386 passengers and 14 crew members on board the flight.
According to The Hindu BusinessLine, at 11 p.m. local time, the Central Industrial Security Force of India (CISF) received a warning letter claiming that “bombs [were] planted on board [the] Russian flight”.
In response to the potential bomb threat, the aircraft’s flight crew performed an emergency landing at Indira Gandhi International Airport (DEL). The plane touched down at the destination at 3.20 a.m. local time, more than five hours after take-off.
Once the RA-73144 landed, passengers and crew members were immediately evacuated, a senior officer at the CISF confirmed to the media.
The local authorities performed a detailed plane inspection, but fortunately the bomb threat appeared to be false.