An Air India flight en route from New Delhi to Chicago made an emergency landing in Iqaluit early Tuesday morning following what RCMP say was a bomb threat.
Air India Flight 127 made the landing at approximately 5:21 a.m. local time, with all 211 passengers and crew exiting the aircraft and relocating to Iqaluit International Airport.
An Air India spokesperson said in a statement to Global News that the flight was subject of a security threat posted online which prompted the emergency landing as a “precautionary measure.”
Nunavut RCMP Cpl. George Henrie told Global News in an email that the police force was aware of a bomb threat made to the flight.
Henrie said the flight is grounded and won’t be allowed to fly until the bomb threat has been cleared.
The threat is under investigation, Henrie added, saying the RCMP is working with the Iqaluit airport authorities and the Canada Border Services Agency.
The airline said the aircraft and passengers were being re-screened “as per the laid down security protocol,” and agencies at the airport would assist passengers until their travel can continue.
Police said they were not aware of any other flights being diverted to Canada or other Indian aircraft diverted elsewhere.
However, Air India said that it, and other local airlines, have been subject to a number of recent threats in recent days, adding all have been found to be hoaxes, though did not specify the types of threats.
According to an airline spokesperson, it is cooperating with authorities to identify the perpetrators of said threats and would consider legal action against those responsible “to recover damages incurred by the airline.”
The Air India landing in Iqaluit came one day after Canada and India expelled diplomats amid escalating tensions over allegations of criminal targeting of opponents of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, including Khalistani supporters who seek an independent Sikh state, on Canadian soil.
There’s no indication at this time who is behind the bomb threat.
Another Air India flight was blown up using a bomb nearly 40 years ago while flying between Canada and the U.K.
That incident remains the worst terror attack in Canadian history.