Security threat forces Air India’s New York-bound flight to return to Mumbai

A security threat forced an Air India plane in flight from Mumbai to New York to return eight hours after it took off on Monday (Mar 10). Media reports claimed that the crew found a note in the washroom of the aircraft with a threat of blast. There were a total of 303 passengers and 19 crew members on board.

The Boeing 777 aircraft changed course and returned to Mumbai. The incident happened when the flight was flying over Azerbaijan.

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In a statement, the airline said, "A potential security threat was detected mid-flight on AI119 operating Mumbai-New York (JFK) today, 10 March 2025."

The flight landed safely at Mumbai International Airport at 10.25 am (IST) after following standard security protocols. Immediately, the security agencies initiated mandatory checks on the aircraft.

As quoted in local reports, a senior police officer of the Mumbai Police's Zone 8 said, "It is like a usual threat note found in the toilet, and with that, further investigation is on according to standard procedure."

"After following the necessary protocols, the flight air-returned to Mumbai, in the interest of the safety and security of all on board. The flight landed safely back in Mumbai at 1025 Hrs (local time)," the airline added.

The airline stated that the aircraft underwent mandatory checks by security agencies, and the flight has been rescheduled to operate at 5:00 am (local time) on March 11.

The airline informed that all passengers have been offered hotel accommodation, meals, and other assistance until then.

"Our colleagues on the ground are making sure to minimise the inconvenience caused to our passengers by this disruption," it said.

The airline has assured full cooperation with authorities to ensure a thorough investigation.

(With inputs from agencies)