New Delhi, September 7, 2024 (Yes Punjab News)
Vistara Airlines will dispatch a replacement aircraft on Saturday to retrieve passengers stranded at a Turkish airport after their Frankfurt-bound flight from Mumbai was diverted due to an alleged bomb threat on Friday. The flight was rerouted to Erzurum Airport in Turkey.
In a statement on social media platform X, Vistara Airlines announced, “All necessary checks have been completed, and security agencies have cleared the customers, crew, and aircraft. However, as the crew has exceeded their duty time limitation, we are sending an alternate aircraft with a fresh crew to Erzurum Airport, Turkey. This aircraft is expected to arrive by 12:25 PM (local time) and will depart for Frankfurt with all passengers by 2:30 PM (local time). In the meantime, we are doing everything possible to minimize inconvenience to our customers, including providing refreshments and meals. We sincerely regret the disruption caused by this unforeseen situation. As always, the safety and security of our customers, crew, and aircraft remain Vistara’s top priority.”
Flight Diverted!
Vistara flight UK 27, which departed from Mumbai to Frankfurt, took off at 1:01 PM on Friday after a one-hour delay and was scheduled to arrive in Frankfurt, Germany, at 5:30 PM local time on Friday. However, the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner was diverted to Turkey after the crew discovered a note on board indicating a bomb threat, according to sources from Vistara. The flight safely landed at Erzurum Airport at 7:05 PM local time.
According to Associated Press, Erzurum Governor Mustafa Ciftci reported that a note reading “bomb on board” was found in one of the aircraft’s lavatories, prompting bomb disposal teams to be called in. The plane was thoroughly searched, and all 234 passengers and 13 crew members were evacuated safely. The identity of the person who left the note remains unknown.
Initially, the aircraft was set to land at an airport in Ordu, northern Turkey, but due to ongoing construction work, it was first redirected to Trabzon before finally being instructed to land at Erzurum. Governor Ciftci explained that Erzurum was chosen for its less congested airspace. Consequently, all departures and arrivals at Erzurum were temporarily halted until 9 PM local time.
Vistara Airlines assured that all necessary security checks have been completed, and efforts are ongoing to minimize the inconvenience to passengers, including the provision of meals and refreshments.
On Friday, Vistara confirmed that Flight UK27 from Mumbai to Frankfurt was diverted to Erzurum Airport in Turkey due to security concerns, landing safely at 7:05 PM local time. The airline did not initially disclose the number of passengers and crew on board, but a spokesperson mentioned that the crew detected a security issue, which led them to notify the relevant authorities.
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