Goa-Bound Russian Chartered Flight Diverted To Uzbekistan After Bomb Threat, Second Incident This Month

A Russian chartered flight en route to Goa on Saturday was diverted to Uzbekistan after a bomb threat.

The Azur Air flight was diverted to Uzbekistan after authorities at the Dabolim airport received a bomb threat via email.

International Flight Network/ Representational Image

Flight diverted after alert from Dabolim Airport

The flight had taken off from Perm international airport, located at Bolshoye Savino, 16 kilometres southwest of the city of Perm, Russia.

"The flight (AZV2463) was diverted to Uzbekistan after an email was received at 12.30 am by the office of the Dabolim airport director, which said that a bomb was planted on the plane. The flight was diverted before it entered the Indian airspace. It landed at an airport in Uzbekistan around 4.30 am," Director of the Dabolim Airport in South Goa, SVT Dhanamjaya Rao.

According to him, the flight was supposed to land at 4.38 am at Dabolim Airport.

SPUTNIK NEWS

He said seven crew members were on board, apart from passengers.

Second bomb threat this month

This is the second such incident involving an Azur Air flight to Goa.

On January 9, a Moscow-to-Goa flight made an emergency landing at Gujarat's Jamnagar airport following a bomb threat.

In the January 9 incident, the Azur Air office in Russia received the threat mail.

INDIAN AIR FORCE

However, after landing in Jamnagar, nothing suspicious was found onboard.

Upon landing, IAF security personnel isolated the aircraft in its isolation bay and evacuated 236 passengers to safety.

Flight departed after 15 hours

The authorities thoroughly checked all passengers and eight crew members, the plane, and the luggage.

INDIAN AIR FORCE

After nothing suspicious was found onboard, the passengers and crew who spent the night at the Jamnagar airport lounge were allowed to proceed to Goa.

The flight landed at the Dabolim airport in Goa on January 10 at 2.39 pm.

INDIAN AIR FORCE

The Russian Embassy issued a statement saying they were alerted by the Indian authorities about the alleged bomb scare on the Azur Air flight en route from Moscow to Goa.

"The Embassy was alerted by Indian authorities about an alleged bomb scare on Azur Air flight from Moscow to Goa. The aircraft made an emergency landing at Jamnagar Indian Air Force Base. Everyone on board is safe; authorities conducting an inspection of the aircraft," said the Russian Embassy in a statement.

Russian tourists in Goa

Russian tourists make up the largest chunk of foreign arrivals in Goa every year and many of them travel to the beach state on chartered flights.

BCCL

During the peak of the tourist season, Goa would receive three charters daily from various Russian destinations.

In 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic, over 3 lakh Russians visited Goa.

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