Delhi's IGI airport on alert after threat call to 'blow up' Air India flight

The Indira Gandhi International (IGI) airport in New Delhi went on a state of alert late on Friday night after security officials received a bomb threat call for a London-bound Air India flight. The Delhi Police said that the caller threatened to blow up the Air India flight to London on the lines of the 9/11 attacks in the United States.

According to the police, the bomb threat call was received by the Ranhola police station in outer Delhi on Thursday night, following which the security at the IGI airport was alerted.

"We received a bomb threat call about a flight going to London," the ANI news agency quoted Delhi Police officials familiar with the development as saying. "At 10.30 pm on Thursday, a phone call came on the landline number of the Ranhola police station in Outer Delhi. The caller said that on the lines of 9/11 attacks in the US, an Air India flight to London will be blown up."

The Delhi Police had also received a separate threat call on Friday, which warned that unnamed miscreants were intending to seize the Delhi airport. The cops have launched an investigation into the matter and are currently trying to trace the numbers, the news agency reported.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police requested passengers to start early if they are to catch a flight from the IGI airport in the national capital. Since there is a security alert around, officials will be checking vehicles and several parts of the airport compound for any potential threats, which may lead to an unwanted delay for passengers.

"Travel alert due to SFJ's call to seize the airport, checking of vehicles will be done going to the airport," tweeted DCP south-west Pratap Singh. "Those who have to board a flight from IGI are requested to start early to avoid any delays."