More than 170 people on a carrier bound for Singapore were stranded at the Kempegowda International Airport (KIA) for over 14 hours on Tuesday after a security alert — that proved to be false — was raised by a passenger. Just as the Bengaluru-Singapore Flight TR573 of the Scoot Airlines was approaching the runway and ready to take off at 1.20 a.m., a passenger raised the alarm mistaking a bag for a ‘gun-like article’, said a source.
As per protocol, the crew aborted the flight and alerted the airport security.
The Bangalore International Airport Ltd. — the operator of the KIA — in a statement said that standard security protocol and procedures were followed and no suspicious items were found. “A passenger was de-boarded from the flight by the CISF. The remaining passengers and baggage were also de-boarded and re-screened for security and immigration clearance,” said BIAL, in a press release.
A senior police officer said, “We have received no complaint on the development. After a security threat was raised, a thorough search was carried out. We received information that the panicked passenger mistook a guitar case for a gun and raised the alarm.”
According to police sources, the person saw a fellow passenger carrying a long case, which he didn’t want to store in the cabin luggage space. When the passenger asked him why he didn’t want to keep it away, he allegedly said it was an important item, and later added that it was a machine gun.
Passengers livid
The passengers who were stranded at the airport for 14 hours, accused the carrier of not providing timely information about alternative arrangements. Some of them took to social media to complain about the airline’s alleged apathy.
One passenger said, “Flying has been a horrible experience… Did not even let us out to go home and return.”
Replacement aircraft
The BIAL said a replacement aircraft and crew had been flown into Bangalore. The flight finally departed KIA at 4.20 p.m. The release also said that food and refreshments were organised for the stranded passengers. It also maintained that the incident did not impact flight operations at the airport.
