Emergency protocols were triggered at Shamshabad Airport on Monday after a Netherlands-bound aircraft was forced to make an immediate precautionary landing following a bomb threat. The scare began when an anonymous email was sent to airport officials claiming an explosive had been placed on the plane. As per international safety standards, the pilot was sent an alert and the aircraft was diverted to Hyderabad, where it landed safely.
Once on the ground, the aircraft was moved to an isolated bay where CISF personnel, bomb disposal squads, and airport security conducted a high-stakes evacuation. All passengers were moved to safety without injury or panic while specialised teams carried out an exhaustive sweep of the cabin, checked every piece of luggage, and inspected the cargo hold. While the atmosphere was tense, preliminary checks have not found any explosive material on board, suggesting the threat may have been a hoax.
This incident is the latest in a troubling wave of fake bomb threats targeting Shamshabad Airport in recent weeks. Despite the high frequency of these "hoaxes," aviation authorities emphasised that they cannot afford to take risks and must treat every warning with a full-scale emergency response. This policy inevitably caused brief disruptions to flight schedules in the area as other aircraft adjusted their movements to maintain a safety perimeter during the inspection.
Cybercrime units have now stepped in to trace the digital footprint of the email to identify the culprits behind the scare. Authorities are concerned about the "rising pattern" of these incidents. They noted that these emails create unnecessary fear and strain security resources. While airport operations have since returned to normal, security teams remain on high alert.
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