An Air Arabia flight scheduled to depart from Calicut International Airport to Sharjah on Saturday morning was delayed due to a hoax bomb threat. According to airport sources, the aircraft was grounded while the police bomb detection squad inspected it.
Upon the arrival of a passenger from Sharjah to Calicut, a note with the word 'bomb' was discovered on a seat by ground staff before boarding began, as reported by a senior airport official.
Following this discovery, the authorities were notified, and the aircraft underwent a rigorous inspection by the bomb detection squad as the plane remained grounded, the official explained.
"It was later found that the note was a hoax bomb threat. The inspection and security drills have just been concluded. We are awaiting a report from the bomb detection squad before the flight is cleared for take off," the official said around 11 am.
He also said that the flight, which was scheduled to depart around 8:30 a.m., will now depart around 5 p.m.
"The passengers have been accommodated at the airport and have been provided food and water," he added.
Meanwhile, police said that the passenger who put the note in the aircraft had not yet been identified, and they are trying to find out who was behind the hoax threat.
"Further steps will be taken accordingly," an officer from Karipur police station said.
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