Afghanistan Times
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In a tense aviation incident, a Frankfurt-bound Vistara flight with over 240 passengers on board was forced to return to Delhi on Sunday after Afghanistan barred it from using its airspace due to a bomb threat. The Boeing 787 flight, UK25, briefly entered Afghanistan’s airspace before being redirected.
The flight, initially classified as having received a “non-specific” bomb threat, was allowed to continue towards Frankfurt. However, Afghanistan refused entry to its airspace, prompting the plane to circle over Pakistan before heading back to India. The aircraft safely landed in Delhi at 4:20 PM, three hours after takeoff.
The bomb scare affected not just Vistara but also six Bengaluru-bound flights operated by Indian airlines. Authorities are currently investigating the source of these threats, which were received via X (formerly Twitter).
Joint Secretary of Civil Aviation Asangba Chuba Ao stated that aviation security regulators are actively working to combat the surge in hoax bomb threats. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu also indicated that changes to legislation and aviation rules are being considered to curb such incidents. However, he acknowledged that determining the motivations behind these hoax calls remains challenging.
The flight and all its passengers have returned safely, but investigations are ongoing to apprehend those responsible for this alarming disruption.
