Moscow-Goa flight with 238 on board diverted to Uzbekistan after bomb threat

Officials said that the Dabolim airport director received an email was received at 12.30 am warning about a bomb being planted on the plane with 238 passengers on board. Following this, the aircraft was diverted. 

A Goa-bound flight that took off from the Russian capital Moscow with 240 passengers on board was diverted to Uzbekistan following a bomb threat in the wee hours of Saturday.

According to the police, flight AZV2463, operated by Azur Air, was scheduled to land at the Dabolim airport in South Goa at 4.15 am. However, the flight was diverted before it entered Indian air space. 

Officials said that the Dabolim airport director received an email at 12.30 am warning about a bomb being planted on the plane with 238 passengers on board. Following this, the aircraft was diverted. 

The bomb threat comes nearly two weeks after another Moscow-to-Goa flight made an emergency landing at Gujarat's Jamnagar airport owing to a similar threat. 

After the threat mail, the Dabolim airport was put on alert, and the personnel of Goa Police, Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Quick Response Team (QRT) and dog squad were deployed at the facility as a precautionary measure, Deputy Superintendent of Police (Vasco) Salim Shaikh said.

"Additional police force was mobilised at the airport," he said.

In the January 9 incident, the Azur Air office in Russia had received the threat mail, while this time it was received by the office of the Dabolim airport director, sources said. 

A senior official of the Dabolim airport said a police complaint would be lodged in connection with the incident.