Air India’s Birmingham-Delhi flight lands in Riyadh after bomb scare

An Air India flight from Birmingham to Delhi was forced to make an emergency landing in Riyadh on Friday night following a bomb threat that later turned out to be a hoax. The flight AI114, operating on June 21, landed safely at the Saudi capital and underwent thorough security checks before passengers were deplaned.

“All passengers are safe and have been provided hotel accommodation in Riyadh. Security protocols have been fully complied with and the aircraft has been cleared following inspection,” an Air India spokesperson said, while confirming that alternative arrangements were being made to fly the passengers to their final destinations.

The mid-air bomb scare adds to the growing list of disruptions that the Tata-owned airline has faced in recent weeks amid a sweeping operational reset. Air India and Air India Express, which jointly operate over 1,100 daily flights carrying more than 150,000 passengers, have undertaken a temporary reduction of services and intensified pre-flight safety inspections across their fleet.

AI reroutes flights to avoid Gulf airspace

In response to mounting tensions in the Gulf region, Air India has announced a strategic realignment of its flight paths, confirming it has stopped operating over the airspaces of Iran, Iraq and Israel. According to airline officials, the move is aimed at ensuring passenger and crew safety.

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“As announced, Air India has voluntarily undertaken enhanced pre-flight safety checks and a calibrated reduction of services to uphold our commitment to safe operations. These steps are aimed at improving stability and minimising last-minute inconvenience to passengers,” the airline said in a statement.

Despite these efforts, the airline acknowledged that several extraneous factors such as airspace restrictions in West Asia, curfews at European and East Asian airports, and persistent air traffic congestion have contributed to unavoidable delays and cancellations.

“While we do our best to notify passengers in advance of any planned disruption, there are instances where last-minute operational issues lead to delays or cancellations. We regret the inconvenience this causes to our valued customers,” the airline said.

The incident in Riyadh comes at a time when the airline is under close public and regulatory scrutiny, following a series of technical snags, extended flight delays, and diversions. However, officials insist that the ongoing recalibration is essential to ensure long-term flight safety and service reliability.