Srinagar Airport operations halted for an hour after bomb threat

Flight operations at the Srinagar International Airport had to be halted for an hour on Friday after a bomb threat as the authorities took preventive measures, officials said.

The Air Traffic Control (ATC) at the Srinagar Airport received a bomb threat on an Air Vistara flight from New Delhi, prompting a response from the authorities, including the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), which is responsible for the security at the airport, the officials said.

They said a threat call was made to the airport around the noon about the flight, which had 178 passengers onboard. Immediately after the flight landed at the airport, it was directed towards an isolation bay and the passengers and the crew were evacuated, they added.

A thorough search of the plane was carried out, and bomb disposal squads and sniffer dogs were also deployed to check any suspicious items, they said. After an exhaustive search, no explosives were found on the plane, they added.

Flight operations, which had to be halted for about an hour, resumed later, the officials said.

Investigations on the origin of the threat call have been initiated, the officials added.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the airline confirmed there was a ”security concern” on Vistara flight UK 611 operating from Delhi to Srinagar, which was brought to the staff’s attention while on board.

”Following the protocol, we immediately informed the relevant authorities, and the aircraft was taken to the isolation bay after safely landing at the Srinagar International Airport where all passengers were disembarked,” the Vistara spokesman said.