Authorities in Afghanistan did not allow a Vistara flight bound for Frankfurt to use its airspace due to a bomb threat on Sunday, forcing the plane to turn back to Delhi. The flight, identified as UK25, was operated by a Boeing 787 and carried over 240 passengers.
Bomb Threat Classified as “Non-Specific”
Sources revealed that the bomb threat was deemed “non-specific,” and initially, there were plans for the flight to continue its journey to Frankfurt. However, Afghan authorities later refused permission for the aircraft to cross their airspace due to the threat.
Despite the situation, the airline has not released any immediate comments regarding the incident.
Previous Bomb Threats Turned Out to Be Hoaxes
This week alone, nearly 100 flights received bomb threats, which ultimately turned out to be false alarms. Earlier on Sunday, Vistara disclosed that it had received security threats concerning six flights, including UK25.
Safe Return to Delhi
After Afghanistan denied permission to overfly its airspace, the aircraft safely returned to Delhi and landed around 4:20 PM. The flight had taken off from Delhi at approximately 1:10 PM.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter) at 4:19 PM, the airline stated, “Flight UK25 from Delhi to Frankfurt (DEL-FRA) is returning back to Delhi (DEL) and is expected to arrive in Delhi (DEL) at 1620 hours.”
According to Flightradar24.com, the plane briefly entered Afghan airspace and circled over Pakistan before turning back. Typically, the flight route includes airspace over Pakistan, Afghanistan, and other countries on its way to Frankfurt.