Daijiworld Media Network - Hyderabad

Hyderabad, Dec 23: A Hyderabad-bound British Airways flight from London received a bomb threat, triggering heightened security measures at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport (RGIA) here, airport sources said on Tuesday.

According to officials, the airport’s customer support service received an email on Monday containing a bomb threat to British Airways flight BA 277, which was operating from Heathrow to Hyderabad. Following the alert, aerodrome authorities immediately activated standard safety protocols after the aircraft landed.

“The flight landed safely and all prescribed safety procedures were followed. After completing checks, the aircraft later departed for Heathrow,” sources told PTI.

As part of the standard operating procedure, the aircraft was isolated, while passengers and baggage were thoroughly screened. Fire engines were kept on standby and sniffer dogs were deployed to ensure there was no threat, sources added.

Airport authorities noted that this was not an isolated incident. Earlier this month, the RGIA had received two similar threat emails targeting IndiGo flights operating on the Madina–Hyderabad and Sharjah–Hyderabad routes. In one of those instances, the Madina–Hyderabad flight was diverted to Ahmedabad as a precautionary measure.

Investigations are underway to trace the source of the latest threat mail, officials said.