New Delhi:

 An Air India flight going from New Delhi to Visakhapatnam received a bomb threat Tuesday late night, but it was found to be a hoax after a thorough scrutiny on landing in the port city, said an official.

Visakhapatnam Airport Director S Raja Reddy said the Delhi Police received the bomb threat call and alerted the airline and the Visakhapatnam airport.

“It (flight) landed safely and on thoroughly checking the flight, it was found to be a false call,” Mr Reddy told PTI, adding that there were 107 passengers on the Vizag-bound flight.

After deboarding passengers from the aircraft and checking it, that nothing suspicious was found, the director noted.

Meanwhile, boarding on the return flight to Delhi has begun and it is scheduled to leave around 12.30 am, Reddy added.

(This story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Ahead of India’s 77th Independence Day, travellers passing through airports should be prepared for heightened security measures, IndiGo Airlines announced today. In a statement, IndiGo advised passengers to allocate extra time for completing security checks, ensuring a smooth and timely check-in experience.

“As we approach Independence Day, airport security and related checks will be heightened. We encourage our customers to allow a little extra time for completing the necessary security checks and to ensure a smooth check-in experience,” IndiGo said. 

#6ETravelAdvisory : As we approach Independence Day, airport security and related checks will be heightened. We encourage our customers to allow a little extra time for completing the necessary security checks and to ensure a smooth check-in experience. (1/2)

— IndiGo (@IndiGo6E) August 14, 2024

At Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport, restrictions will be in place for non-scheduled flights during specified hours on August 15. The curbs will affect non-scheduled flights of scheduled airlines and private jets, prohibiting them from taking off or landing between 6 am and 10 am, and again from 4 pm to 7 pm. These measures are designed to minimise air traffic and enhance security during peak times of Independence Day celebrations.

Scheduled flight operations, however, will remain unaffected by these restrictions. An official confirmed that while non-scheduled flights are grounded during these hours, scheduled flights, as well as aircraft operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF), Border Security Force (BSF), and Army aviation helicopters, will continue as planned.

Certain exemptions to these restrictions have been outlined. State-owned aircraft, helicopters transporting Governors or Chief Ministers, and flights conducting quick response missions or emergency medical evacuations will be permitted to operate as necessary.

New Delhi:

A Tanzanian man, who had ingested 63 capsules filled with cocaine worth nearly Rs 15 crore, was arrested by the customs officials at the international airport here, authorities said on Tuesday.

The man was intercepted on August 1 after his arrival from Dar Es Salaam (Tanzania) to Delhi via Addis Ababa and Doha.

“During investigation the passenger informed the officers that he had ingested capsules containing narcotics or psychotropic substances. The passenger was then taken to Safdarjung Hospital for medical procedures,” the customs department said in a statement.

During his stay at the hospital here, “he eased out 63 (sixty-three) capsules. When these capsules were cut open, white colour powder/granules suspected to be narcotics substance weighing 998 grams was recovered and on testing was found to be positive for cocaine” it said.

The cocaine, weighing 998 grams, is estimated to be valued at Rs 14.97 crore, it said.

The passenger has been arrested and the narcotic seized.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

The CBI on Thursday detained a German citizen of Indian origin allegedly possessing six kilograms of cocaine at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here based on an Interpol intelligence, officials said.

The central probe agency had received an input from Interpol that Ashok Kumar, a German national, travelling from Doha to Delhi on Indigo flight 6E 1308 was allegedly carrying narcotics with him, they said.

The CBI scrambled a team of officers to the airport here to intercept Kumar, they said.

When the flight landed at around 3 pm, the team was waiting at the terminal three of the airport, where he was stopped and taken to a separate room where an exhaustive search was undertaken, they said..

The CBI found 270 capsules carrying around six kg of cocaine valued at around Rs 30 crore discreetly stashed in the capsules concealed inside two toys, they said.

He is likely to be arrested, officials said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Airports across India are still grappling with issues from yesterday’s massive Microsoft outage. Although the situation has improved significantly since Friday’s chaotic scenes, passengers continue to face challenges, particularly at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI).

At Delhi’s IGI Airport’s Terminal 3, passengers experienced some improvement today, but a few problems persist. Yesterday, the automatic self-drop baggage and check-in machines were non-functional, causing long queues outside Gate No. 5 in Terminal 3. While many passengers can print out their boarding passes today, international travellers still face issues with boarding pass generation, with some being issued manual passes inside the airport.

The Digi Yatra machines at Gates 1-3, which facilitate seamless entry, remain non-operational, necessitating manual entries. Display boards showing wait times, flight schedules, and other crucial information, which were down yesterday, are now functional. However, the overall system has not yet fully recovered, as confirmed by airport officials.

Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport fared better than its counterparts in Delhi and Bengaluru. Although long queues were reported, operations are running more smoothly today. Nonetheless, two flights, one to Varanasi and one to Kochi, were cancelled this morning, and several international flights were rescheduled. This is an improvement from yesterday when nine domestic flights, all operated by IndiGo, were cancelled. IndiGo has warned of potential cancellations today but expressed optimism that yesterday’s disruption will not be repeated as the Microsoft outage was not reported today.

Global Outage

The outage, attributed to an update by global cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, disrupted Microsoft’s Windows systems worldwide, affecting financial institutions, airlines, hospitals, and media channels. In India, this caused airline check-in systems to crash, leading to delays and the cancellation of dozens of flights. IndiGo alone cancelled around 200 flights, with hundreds more delayed as manual check-in procedures significantly slowed the process.

The Indian financial sector experienced minor disruptions at about ten banks and non-banking financial companies (NBFCs), which have largely been resolved, according to the Reserve Bank of India. However, the outage’s impact on airports from Chennai to Delhi was severe, with passengers facing long queues due to unavailable web check-in services and manual ticketing processes.

Airlines such as IndiGo, Akasa Air, Vistara, Air India, SpiceJet, and Air India Express acknowledged the issues via social media. Passengers received handwritten boarding passes, and the manual ticketing and luggage check-in process extended to 30-40 minutes per person, leading to frustration and overcrowded lounges.

Other Airports

Besides Delhi and Mumbai, high-density airports like Bengaluru and Chennai saw the most significant impacts. At Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport, airlines such as IndiGo, Akasa, SpiceJet, and Air India Express initiated manual check-ins to ensure minimal disruption.  The technical glitch has been fully resolved at Bengaluru airport, and operations have returned to normal. However, there is slight congestion due to the residual impact of yesterday’s operational delays. Due to the backlog, it will take a few hours for the crowds to clear.

Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport experienced cancellations of 23 flights, including IndiGo flights to Visakhapatnam, Tirupati, Ahmedabad, and Bengaluru.

Ministerial Assurances

Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu assured that the ministry and the Airports Authority of India (AAI) are managing the situation using manual methods to minimise disruption. Minister for Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw confirmed that the cause of the outage had been identified and that updates had been released to resolve the issue. According to the Aviation Ministry, systems at airports across the country started operating normally from 3 am this morning. 

“By noon today, we expect all issues to be resolved,” the ministry said in a statement. 

CrowdStrike confirmed the problem was due to a defect in a content update for Windows hosts and not a security incident or cyberattack.

New Delhi:

Flight operations of airlines like IndiGo and SpiceJet have been impacted after a roof collapsed at Terminal 1 of Delhi airport, on Friday morning, leaving six people injured and one dead.

After the incident, airlines issued a press statement informing passengers that, because of the structural damage to Terminal 1 and adverse weather conditions, several flights had been cancelled and advised passengers to keep track of and confirm their flight status.

IndiGo in a statement, said, “IndiGo flight operations are impacted due to structural damage to Terminal 1, Delhi Airport because of adverse weather conditions. This has led to flight cancellations at Delhi as passengers are not able to enter the terminal. Passengers already inside the terminal will be able to board their planned flights, but those with flights later in the day will be offered alternatives.”

“This unplanned situation has also led to operations across the network being impacted. Customers are advised to keep a track of and confirm their flight status before leaving for the airport. IndiGo passengers can call 0124 6173838 or 0124 4973838 to seek assistance regarding their travel plans. We regret the inconvenience caused to the passengers,” added IndiGo’s statement.

While SpiceJet in its statement, said, “Due to bad weather (heavy rains), SpiceJet flights have been cancelled as Terminal 1 of Delhi Airport will remain partially closed for operations until further notice. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding. Please contact us at +91 (0)124 4983410/+91 (0)124 7101600 for alternate options or full refund. Please keep a watch on our Social Media channels for further updates.”

Meanwhile, a Delhi International Airport Limited (DIAL) spokesperson stated, “Due to heavy rain since early this morning, a portion of the canopy at the old departure forecourt of Delhi Airport’s Terminal 1 collapsed around 5 am. There are injuries reported, and emergency personnel are working to provide all necessary assistance and medical aid to those affected.”

“As a result of this incident, all departures from Terminal 1 are temporarily suspended, and check-in counters are closed as a safety measure. We sincerely regret this disruption and apologise for any inconvenience caused,” DIAL said.

Informing about the incident, Delhi Police said that traffic going to T1 departure from Indira Gandhi International Airport has been diverted at the CISF check post toward the Arrival of T1.

Several cars were hit by parts of the roof that collapsed on them at Terminal 1 of Delhi Airport, as per a fire official on Friday. Upon receiving the information, around three fire tenders rushed to the spot.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

At least one person was killed and six others injured after a portion of the roof of the Delhi airport’s Terminal-1 collapsed on cars amid heavy rain this morning. All departures from Terminal 1 have been temporarily suspended, and check-in counters closed as a “safety measure”, a Delhi airport spokesperson said. Terminal-1 has only domestic flight operations.

The spokesperson also said that all departing flights from T1 of IndiGo and SpiceJet are cancelled till 2 pm today.

Many vehicles, including cabs, were damaged in the incident that was reported to the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) around 5.30 am. The officials said the roof sheet and the support beams collapsed, damaging the cars parked in the pick-up and drop area of the terminal at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, one of the busiest airports in the world.

During the rescue operations, a man was taken out from a car on which an iron beam had fallen.

In an official statement, Delhi airport said that a portion of the canopy at the old Departure forecourt of Delhi Airport’s Terminal 1 collapsed “due to heavy rain since early this morning”.

“There are injuries reported, and emergency personnel are working to provide all necessary assistance and medical aid to those affected. As a result of this incident, all departures from Terminal 1 are temporarily suspended, and check-in counters are closed as a safety measure. We sincerely regret this disruption and apologize for any inconvenience caused,” the statement read.

Terminal 1 Incident pic.twitter.com/Dv9Sir5l4p

— Delhi Airport (@DelhiAirport) June 28, 2024

Union Minister of Civil Aviation Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said he was “personally monitoring” the roof collapse incident at the Delhi airport and that the injured have been hospitalised.

“First responders are working at the site. Also advised the airlines to assist all affected passengers at T1. The injured have been evacuated to hospital,” the newly-elected minister posted on X.

Personally monitoring the roof collapse incident at T1 Delhi Airport. First responders are working at site. Also advised the airlines to assist all affected passengers at T1. The injured have been evacuated to hospital. Rescue operations are still ongoing.

— Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu (@RamMNK) June 28, 2024

Indigo Cancels Flights As Roof Collapses At Delhi Airport

IndiGo said that its flight operations were impacted due to structural damage to Terminal 1 at Delhi Airport. In a statement, the low-cost carrier said that the incident has led to flight cancellations in Delhi as “passengers are not able to enter the terminal”.

“Passengers already inside the terminal will be able to board their planned flights, but those with flights later in the day will be offered alternatives,” an IndiGo spokesperson said.

“This unplanned situation has also led to operations across the network being impacted. Customers are advised to keep track of and confirm their flight status before leaving for the airport,” the statement added.

Heavy Rain In Delhi

Delhi today received heavy rain for the second consecutive day. Rain, which brought respite from the scorching heat, also caused waterlogging in several parts of the national capital.

Visuals shared by the news agency ANI on X showed roads inundated and long traffic in parts of Delhi. 

#WATCH | Delhi: Roads inundated as heavy rain continues in parts of National Capital

(Visuals from Govindpuri) pic.twitter.com/9idnGwx0nb

— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2024

A car was also seen submerged at Minto Road.

#WATCH | A car submerged in water and roads heavily flooded due to continuous downpour in Delhi

(Visuals from Minto Road) pic.twitter.com/reJQPlzfbQ

— ANI (@ANI) June 28, 2024

The Safdarjung Observatory, the capital’s primary weather station, recorded 154 mm of rainfall between yesterday and today morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

On Thursday, rain in Delhi brought the temperature down to 35.4 degrees Celsius.

New Delhi:

A Varanasi-bound IndiGo flight today received a bomb threat at the Delhi airport, prompting authorities to inspect the plane, officials said.

The flight, 6E2211, was scheduled to take off from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport around 5 am and was stopped on the runway minutes before departure.

“At 05:40 am, a phone call was received from the IGI airport regarding a bomb threat. A message ‘BOMB BLAST @30 MINUTES’ was written on a piece of paper inside the lavatory of the flight and was found by the pilot,” an official said.

The aircraft, with 176 passengers onboard, was immediately taken to the isolation bay for further necessary action, the official said, adding that a quick response team was deployed, which has so far not found any suspicious items.

All passengers were deboarded through the emergency door and are safe, the official said.

#WATCH | Passengers of the IndiGo flight 6E2211 operating from Delhi to Varanasi were evacuated through the emergency door after a bomb threat was reported on the flight. All passengers are safe, flight is being inspected.

(Viral video confirmed by Aviation authorities) https://t.co/el2q5jCatxpic.twitter.com/ahVc0MSiXz

— ANI (@ANI) May 28, 2024

The IndiGo also released an official statement and said that the aircraft was taken to a remote bay as per guidelines by airport security agencies.

“The flight is currently undergoing inspection. Post completion of all security checks, the aircraft will be positioned back in the terminal area,” the airline said.

ALSO READ | Mumbai Cops Receive Hoax Message Threatening To Blow Up Taj Hotel, Airport

Earlier this month, a tissue paper with the word ‘bomb’ written on it was found on an Air India flight lavatory at Delhi airport, but it had turned out to be a hoax.

Police had said that they received information regarding a tissue paper found in the lavatory of an Air India flight scheduled to depart for Vadodara on May 15, with the word ‘bomb’ written on it.

“Following standard security protocols, a thorough inspection was conducted, and no suspicious items were found,” an official had said.

Several hospitals and schools in Delhi have recently been targeted with bomb threat emails, that claimed the presence of explosives on their premises. However, investigators found the threats to be false alarms.

New Delhi:

A fire broke out at the Indira Gandhi International airport on Friday, official of the Delhi Fire Services said.

Three fire tenders were pressed into service, they said.

“We received a call from IGI Airport at 6.15 pm regarding a fire. We have pressed three fire tenders,” the DFS official said.

Further details are awaited.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

He boarded 200 flights last year and travelled thousands of kilometres in the country for over 100 days to execute robberies at airports, stealing valuables from several passengers in 2023.

The Delhi Police busted the new style of theft when a woman travelling from Hyderabad to Delhi claimed last month that jewellery worth Rs 7 lakh was stolen from her handbag. The cops received another complaint from a man from the US reporting that valuables worth Rs 20 lakh were stolen from his cabin bag. 

The police scanned several hours of footage from airports and arrested a man, Rajesh Kapoor.

The Modus Operandi

Rajesh Kapoor was arrested from Delhi’s Paharganj after cops scanned CCTV footage from Delhi, Hyderabad, and Amritsar airports. The accused told the cops how he executed the crime for a year in one of the most highly secured areas in the country – airports – and managed to escape.

Deputy Commissioner of Delhi Police, Usha Rangrani, said the man targeted passengers who took connecting flights. For example, the woman travelling from Hyderabad to Delhi in April had to board a connecting Air India flight to the US from the IGI Airport in Delhi. 

Similarly, the US resident, Varjinderjit Singh, was travelling to Frankfurt, Germany from Amritsar and had a connecting flight from Delhi.

The senior cop said he chose the elderly and women passengers as his targets and used to observe their behaviour at the airport. He would follow them or slyly read the information on the baggage declaration slip to get more details about the valuables inside the bag. The police said they saw the man interact mostly at the boarding gate, and before that, he would observe the behaviour of his targets.

The police said the accused used to request the airline to change his seat so that he could be next to the passenger. Sometimes, it was a coincidence, but he mostly would give a reason to get his seat changed. 

The cops added that he would often sit near the passenger he would steal from and pretend to adjust the bags in the overhead section and steal jewellery and other valuables while other passengers were boarding the aircraft.

The phone number of the accused was obtained from the airlines; however, he entered a fake number at the time of booking to defraud them, and the phone number was registered in someone else’s name, making sure he did not leave any evidence behind.

‘A Guest House Owner’

Rajesh owns ‘Ricky Deluxe’, a guest house in Delhi Paharganj, close to the New Delhi Railway Station. The man lived on the third floor of the guest house, and the other floors were for the customers. The police said he had a money exchange business and, also owned a mobile repair shop in Delhi.

He stole valuables from bags of mostly female passengers in several operating from airports like Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Bangalore, Mumbai, and Amritsar. A large quantity of gold and silver jewellery was recovered from his house in Paharganj; however, he also revealed that on several occasions he sold the stolen jewellery to a jeweller named Sharad Jain in neighbouring Karol Bagh.

The thief who boarded flights used to steal in trains and “gained success,” the police said. After getting caught, the man “went silent” and later decided to plan thefts at the airports.