Air India flight diverted to Stansted Airport after hoax bomb threat

The aircraft was escorted by RAF fighters; has now resumed flight

air india rep salil Representational Image | Salil Bera

An Air India passenger flight from Mumbai to Newark in the US made an emergency landing at Stansted Airport in the UK following a bomb scare on Thursday. The incident forced the brief closure of the runway at Stansted Airport. However, an Air India official has confirmed that the bomb threat was a hoax and the was plane has resumed its flight.

Flight AI 191, a Boeing 777, was escorted by two Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft of the Royal Air Force as it approached the London Stansted Airport. Air India posted a tweet about the incident, which was deleted shortly afterwards.

The Air India flight was near the Isle of Man over the Irish Sea when it decided to turn back. According to local media reports, the Air India flight landed at Stansted Airport at 10.15am local time. The BBC reported the aircraft had been moved to an isolated portion of the Stansted Airport.

Stansted Airport issued a statement about the incident, stating that Essex Police were at the scene. Operations have resumed at Stansted Airport.

The number of passengers on board the Air India flight is not yet known.

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