The Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) remained tense on Tuesday evening due to a bomb hoax on an Indian aircraft. The Civil Aviation Authority Nepal (CAAN) later confirmed that no suspicious object was found on the aircraft of Vistara Airlines.
A bomb disposal squad of the Nepalese Army (NA) had conducted a search of the aircraft after receiving information that the aircraft was carrying a bomb.
According to NA Spokesperson Gaurav Kumar KC, a special team of the Nepalese Army had carried out a search operation following rumours that a bomb had been planted on the Vistara Air aircraft that arrived in Kathmandu from New Delhi at around 4.30 pm.
“No suspicious object was found during the search of 157 passengers on board,” RSS quoted Brigadier General KC as saying. He added that the search was conducted upon receiving information about the bomb threat from New Delhi.
Meanwhile, CAAN’s Information Officer Gyanendra Bhul informed RSS that flights are being operated regularly at TIA as no suspicious object was found in the aircraft. He said the plane was declared out of threat after no suspected object was found on the plane.
According to airport sources, it took around two and a half hours to search the aircraft and declare it safe.
Indian airlines have been plagued by false alarm of late. More than 70 fake bomb threats were made against flights operated by multiple Indian airlines last week, Indian media reported Sunday.
All flights landed safely, but the spate of threats has resulted in planes being diverted and causing delay in flights.