New Delhi, June 22: An Air India flight en route from Birmingham to New Delhi was forced to divert to Riyadh on Saturday following a bomb threat. The aircraft landed safely in the Saudi capital, where it underwent thorough security checks, the airline confirmed in a statement on Sunday.
“Flight AI114 from Birmingham to Delhi of 21 June received a bomb threat and was consequently diverted to Riyadh, where it has landed safely and has completed security checks,” Air India said. “All passengers have been deplaned and are being provided hotel accommodation.”
Owned by the Tata Group, the airline has been grappling with a series of operational difficulties in recent weeks. The carrier noted that alternative arrangements were being made to transport the affected passengers to their original destinations.
The bomb threat comes amid heightened internal scrutiny and a voluntary service reduction by the airline. Following the June 12 crash of one of its aircraft in Ahmedabad that claimed lives, Air India initiated enhanced pre-flight safety checks and scaled back some services to stabilise operations.
“Despite all efforts, due to extraneous factors such as airspace closures in the Middle East, nighttime curfew restrictions at airports in Europe and East Asia, and air traffic congestion, some flights experience delays or last-minute cancellations,” the airline said. It acknowledged that operational unpredictability remains a concern even as it works to streamline safety and scheduling.
The carrier has not provided further details about the nature of the bomb threat or when the passengers will resume their journey.
