Air India flight returns to Mumbai after bomb threat note in toilet

Mumbai: An Air India flight from Mumbai to New York made an emergency return to the airport on Monday after a bomb threat note was discovered in the plane's toilet during the flight.

The Air India plane, carrying over 320 passengers, landed safely back in Mumbai and is currently undergoing security checks by authorities.

A passenger spotted the note with the message "There is a bomb in the flight" written on it inside the toilet and alerted the crew, a Sahar police official here said.

He said the flight made an emergency landing at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.

"Nothing suspicious has been found (so far), and we are conducting the investigation," the official said, adding they were in the process of registering an FIR against an unidentified person in connection with the matter.

According to a source, the Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft had 322 people on board, including 19 crew members.

Air India, in a statement, said, "A potential security threat was detected mid-flight on AI119 operating Mumbai-New York (JFK) on Monday. After following the necessary protocols, the flight air-returned to Mumbai in the interest of the safety and security of all on board." The flight landed safely back in Mumbai at 10.25 am, it said.

The airline stated that the aircraft is being checked by security agencies, and they are cooperating fully. The flight has been rescheduled for 5am Tuesday, and passengers are being provided with hotel stays, meals, and other assistance.

"Our colleagues on the ground are making sure to minimise the inconvenience caused to our passengers by this disruption. As always, Air India accords the highest priority to the safety of passengers and crew," it added.

(inputs from PTI)