A Chennai-bound IndiGo flight carrying scores of passengers was halted moments before takeoff at Delhi's Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport on Tuesday after authorities received a bomb threat targeting the aircraft.

The pilots promptly aborted departure procedures and taxied the aircraft back to an isolated bay, following established civil aviation emergency protocols.

Rapid Emergency Response and Evacuation

Upon receiving the security alert, airport air traffic control directed the aircraft to a designated isolation parking stand. Security personnel, including teams from the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), airport police, and the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC), were mobilized immediately.

All passengers and crew members were deboarded under supervised security procedures and escorted to safety inside the terminal building.

Specialized bomb disposal squads, accompanied by trained sniffer dogs and explosive detection equipment, conducted a thorough, multi-layered sweep of the aircraft cabin, cargo hold, and all checked-in baggage.

Declared a Hoax After Multi-Agency Inspection

Following hours of meticulous screening by anti-sabotage units, authorities confirmed that no suspicious objects, explosives, or hazardous materials were found on board. The alert was subsequently classified as a non-specific hoax threat.

"The safety and security of our passengers, crew, and aircraft remain our highest priority. All prescribed standard operating procedures were strictly adhered to in coordination with local airport authorities and security agencies," an airline official confirmed in a statement regarding the disruption.

Arrangements were subsequently made to provide refreshments to the stranded travelers, while airline operations scheduled a replacement aircraft or cleared the existing flight to resume its journey to Chennai following final security clearances.

Rising Trend of Aviation Security Threats

Indian aviation authorities and law enforcement agencies have witnessed an alarming surge in spurious threats targeting domestic and international carriers over recent months. Similar incidents have forced mid-air diversions, precautionary groundings, and significant operational delays across Indian airports.

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and cyber crime units are actively tracing the electronic origin of the threat to identify and prosecute the individuals responsible under strict non-bailable provisions of aviation security and anti-hoax laws.