How the Indian Air Force Preserved the Security of the Russian Plane After Bomb Threat

The Indian Air Force (IAF) immediately activated security procedures at the Jamnagar airport after receiving information from the appropriate agencies about a potential bomb scare on the Russian Azur Air aircraft bound for Goa.

“After taking the aircraft to an isolated location at the military airport which is mainly responsible for the safety of the industrial hub, the IAF officials instructed the ground staff and Garud Special Forces personnel to help in the safe evacuation of passengers on board,” defense officials said.

As soon as information about the plane started coming in, the IAF only had 50 minutes to respond and begin preparing for the plane’s landing.

After safely parking the aircraft in the isolation bay, the IAF staff reportedly evacuated 236 passengers from the plane.

IAF personnel, under the direction of Air Commodore Anand Sondhi, immediately extended hospitality to the travelers.

Following that, a bomb squad from the National Security Guard (NSG) was flown in a particular Air Force aircraft to scan the Azur Air aircraft and passengers’ carry-on luggage before releasing the flight for takeoff to its intended destination, Dabolim airport in Goa.

The IAF’s highest-ranking officers were closely monitoring the late-night developments from air headquarters. Officials on the ground ensured a speedy deplaning of passengers simultaneously.

According to the officials, such emergencies are typically handled by airports under the Union Civil Aviation Ministry’s control, but there wasn’t much time for the aircraft to be moved to Mumbai, Goa, or Ahmedabad, so Jamnagar was selected to ensure passenger safety.