Mid-air scare as Air India’s Toronto-Delhi flight gets bomb threat

A mid-air security alert was triggered on Air India’s Toronto-Delhi flight AI188 after authorities received a bomb threat during the aircraft’s journey to India. The Boeing 777, carrying hundreds of passengers, landed safely at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport on Thursday morning, where mandatory security checks were carried out.

According to an Air India spokesperson, the onboard crew “carried out all laid-down security drills with passenger safety and security as top priority”. The airline said the flight landed safely and all passengers and crew disembarked without incident. “The aircraft has been parked for mandatory security checks as per protocol,” the spokesperson added.

Officials said Delhi Police received a message early Thursday claiming a bomb threat to the Toronto-Delhi flight. Following this, a Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) was convened at the airport. “After the required assessment, the threat was categorised as non-specific,” sources said.

Flight tracking data from Flightradar24 showed that AI188 was in the air for over 15 hours before reaching Delhi. Upon arrival, the aircraft was moved to a remote bay for inspection, where security agencies conducted a detailed sweep of the cabin, baggage and cargo hold.

The incident comes just days after a high-intensity explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort Metro station killed at least 13 people, prompting a nationwide security review. Authorities have since implemented additional precautionary measures, including compulsory secondary ladder point checks for all flights at major airports.

Airport officials said flight operations remained unaffected and that all safety protocols were followed strictly during the response to the threat.