Air India Flight Redirected to Nunavut Airport Due to Cyber Security Concern

October 15, 2024 TruthUSA

An Air India was directed to land at a Nunavut airport on Oct. 15 following an online security threat, the airline says.

The flight was originally scheduled to land in Chicago after leaving New Delhi just before 3 a.m. local time.

A spokesperson for Air India told The Epoch Times the airline decided to divert the flight as a precautionary measure.

“The aircraft and passengers are being re-screened as per the laid down security protocol,” the airline said in an emailed statement.

Air India said it has resources at the airport in Iqaluit to help passengers until they can secure a flight to their destination.

The RCMP confirmed the flight made an emergency landing in Iqaluit at 5:21 a.m.

There were 211 passengers and crew on board, according to an Oct. 15 RCMP news release. All were taken off the plane and moved into the Iqaluit International Airport, the release said.

Air India also said other airlines have received similar threats recently.

“Though all have subsequently been found to be hoaxes, as a responsible airline operator all threats are taken seriously,” the statement said.

The airline said it was cooperating with authorities to identify who was behind the security threat and said it would consider legal action against those responsible to recover costs associated with the emergency landing.

It’s not the first time the RCMP has been involved in handling threats towards Air India. In November 2023, police said they were working with domestic and international partners and industry stakeholders on an investigation of threats against Air India flights.

At that time the airline faced a boycott by members of the Sikh independence movement.

The latest flight diversion comes a day after Canada and India announced tit-for-tat expulsions of diplomats on the same day, as tensions between the two countries rise.

On Oct. 14, India expelled six Canadian diplomats and asked the officials to leave the country by Oct. 19.

The announcement was made after Canada kicked out six diplomats from India, citing allegations on Oct. 14 from the RCMP, who said that Indian government agents have been linked to murder, extortion, and coercion in Canada.

The Canadian Press and Noé Chartier contributed to this report.

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