Frankfurt/Hyderabad: A Lufthansa flight (LH752) bound for Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport was forced to make an emergency U-turn and return to Frankfurt, Germany, following a reported bomb threat, aviation authorities confirmed on Monday.
The aircraft had departed Frankfurt as scheduled and was en route to Hyderabad when the airline claimed that it “did not receive permission to land” in India. A Hyderabad airport official, however, clarified that the decision was taken after the flight received a bomb threat alert while still outside Indian airspace.
“Due to this development, the flight returned to Germany as a precautionary measure,” the official told reporters.
In a statement to media, Lufthansa Airlines said: “We did not receive a permit to land in Hyderabad, and that’s why the aircraft took a U-turn and returned.” No further details on the nature of the threat were disclosed.
This incident comes close on the heels of another aviation security scare on June 13, when an Air India flight (AI 379) from Phuket, Thailand to New Delhi received a bomb threat and made an emergency landing in Phuket before resuming operations after security clearance.
The Hyderabad airport authorities stated that they were informed about the threat but since the flight was yet to enter Indian airspace, the decision to divert remained with the airline and German authorities.
Passengers on board the Lufthansa flight were unharmed, and airline officials said they would be provided alternative travel arrangements.