Airports across India on high alert after bomb threat to Air India Express flight; IndiGo receives security alerts

New Delhi: Security has been tightened across several major airports in India after an Air India Express flight from Mumbai to Varanasi received a bomb threat midair on Wednesday, prompting emergency measures and heightened vigilance, officials said.

Following the blast near Red Fort Metro station on Monday evening, the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) has issued a high alert across the country -- including airports, Delhi Metro, heritage sites, government buildings and other key installations under its security cover, authorities said.

Meanwhile, several states across the country have been placed on high alert, with police forces intensifying checks and tightening security measures to prevent any untoward incident.

In a separate incident, budget carrier IndiGo also received digital security alerts concerning five major airports — Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Thiruvananthapuram.

Authorities are currently investigating the origin and authenticity of both threats. Heightened security measures have been put in place at major airports as a precautionary measure.

Last week, flight operations at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) were severely disrupted due to a technical glitch in the Air Traffic Control (ATC) system, impacting more than 400 flights from multiple airlines, including Air India and IndiGo. IANS