Air India passenger detained at Hyderabad airport after 'hijack' warning

Authorities at Rajiv Gandhi International Airport authorities in Hyderabad were on high alert late Sunday evening (October 9) after receiving a threatening message via an email claiming that a passenger travelling on an Air India flight was a potential hijacker. 

The email was sent from an unknown email address, and it raised concerns about the safety and security of Flight AI951 bound for Dubai.

On October 8 at around 7 PM, airport duty personnel received an email warning the airport authorities to “be careful” of a flyer who was allegedly an informer for Pakistani spy agency ISI. The email further cautioned that the passenger was planning to hijack Flight AI951, and it also warned that “many people” at Hyderabad airport were “involved” with the individual in this conspiracy.

The Airport security authorities came into action after receiving that email. They identified the passenger mentioned in the email and apprehended him. After that, the passenger was immediately escorted to an isolation area along with his hand luggage.

A separate isolation bay was designated for Flight AI951 as a precautionary step, which was originally scheduled to depart for Dubai, as a safety precaution while the issue was evaluated.

(Further details awaited)