7-9-2024 (ISTANBUL) A tense situation unfolded at Erzurum Airport in eastern Turkey on Friday when a Vistara Airlines flight from Mumbai to Frankfurt was forced to make an emergency landing due to a suspected bomb threat. However, after hours of meticulous investigation, local authorities have confirmed that the threat was indeed false.
The incident began when flight UK27, carrying 234 passengers and 13 crew members, was diverted to Erzurum following the discovery of an ominous note in one of the aircraft’s lavatories. The handwritten message, which read “bomb on board”, immediately triggered emergency protocols and sent shockwaves through the aviation community.
Upon landing at approximately 4:30 pm local time, the aircraft was immediately surrounded by security personnel and bomb disposal experts. All passengers and crew were swiftly evacuated as a precautionary measure, while the airport suspended all incoming and outgoing flights.
Erzurum Governor Mustafa Ciftci took charge of the situation, overseeing a comprehensive search operation that lasted well into the night. At 11:30 pm, Governor Ciftci addressed reporters at the airport, stating, “We have completed all search and examination operations. As a result of the work we carried out, we found that the bomb threat was unfounded.”
The governor’s announcement came as a relief to anxious passengers, crew, and airport staff who had endured hours of uncertainty. With the all-clear given, Governor Ciftci confirmed that normal operations at Erzurum Airport would resume immediately, allowing both incoming and outgoing flights to proceed as scheduled.
Vistara Airlines, in a statement posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), confirmed that “customers, crew and the aircraft were cleared by security agencies and that all necessary checks were conducted.” The airline also announced plans to dispatch an alternative aircraft to Turkey by 12:25 pm local time on Saturday to transport the affected passengers to their original destination of Frankfurt.
