An Air India flight from Birmingham to Delhi was diverted to Riyadh on Friday after receiving a bomb threat mid-air. All passengers onboard flight AI114 are safe, the airline confirmed in a statement today.
The aircraft made an emergency landing at Riyadh airport, where security agencies conducted a full sweep of the plane. No explosive material was found during the inspection.
"The aircraft has landed safely, all passengers have been deplaned, and security checks have been completed," an Air India spokesperson said in a statement.
Passengers are being accommodated in hotels while the airline is arranging their travel to Delhi.
Riyadh was chosen as the diversion point due to its proximity and availability of emergency handling facilities. Passengers of the flight are expected to depart from Riyadh for Delhi within the next 24 hours.
The incident comes at a time when Air India and Air India Express are already facing operational headwinds. The two carriers together operate over 1,100 flights daily, transporting more than 1.5 lakh passengers.
The aviation regulator, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has directed Air India to implement enhanced pre-flight safety checks and temporarily reduce some services to improve operational stability and minimize last-minute flight disruptions.
Despite these efforts, the airline cited factors beyond its control-such as airspace closures in the Middle East, night curfews at airports in Europe and East Asia, and general air traffic congestion-as causes for delays and cancellations.
"We try to inform passengers in advance in case of known delays or cancellations. However, in some cases, such as security threats or unexpected operational issues, there may be last-minute disruptions," the airline said.
