Bomb on Jet flight to London

At 3.28 am on November 5, a man called the Jet Airways call centre at Andheri and warned the startled operator that Wednesday’s Mumbai-London flight would be bombed.

The man then said, “Lashkar-e-Taiba” thrice and hung up. The Home Ministry and the Intelligence Bureau have taken the call seriously.

Consequently, starting today, passengers travelling to the UK and the US, will undergo stringent security checks (see box). The checks will peak on Wednesday, but will continue for a few days more.

Said an airport official, “Since the man called from a London number and we cannot trace international numbers, we decided to take the call seriously and put the airport on high alert. The call also coincides with news of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s hanging and so assumes significance.”

The Jet Airways spokesperson in New Delhi, AK Sivanandan confirmed that the airline had received the threat call and said a police complaint had been lodged with the airport police.

Jet Airways operates two flights to London from Mumbai. Flight 9W 120, leaves Mumbai at 2.20 am every day, while 9W 118, which leaves only on Mondays, is a 1.20 pm flight.

Since security will be tightened, delays are expected, but the airline has issued no advisory on reporting earlier than the mandatory three hours.

According to airport sources, while Mumbai airport does not have explosive detectors, Jet Airways employs explosive trace and vapour detectors.

A top Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) official in New Delhi said that the Home Ministry and the Intelligence Bureau have been briefed on the bomb threat.

“We have asked sky marshals to be on board on almost all the flights to the UK and the US. We do not know in the shape or size of the bomb, so we have to be prepared.”

The Central Industrial Security Force responsible for airport security said, “We are on high alert and have briefed all airlines on the security procedures to be followed," said CISF senior Commandant Sanjay Prakash.

Checks and measures

• Access control: Only bonafide passengers allowed inside terminal

• 100 % frisking: Every single passenger travelling to the UK and US will be frisked.

• Every single piece of hand baggage will be opened.

• Ladder point checks (before the passenger actually boards the aircraft) will be in place.

• Sky marshals will be deputed on flights to the UK and US.

• Explosive detectors will be used on check-in baggage