• Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Daily The Business
  • Privacy Policy
Saturday, December 6, 2025
Daily The Business
  • Login
No Result
View All Result
DTB
No Result
View All Result
DTB

I was on a flight that received a bomb threat. We were treated like suspects, and the police examined everyone’s handwriting.

July 19, 2024
in Travel
I was on a flight that received a bomb threat. We were treated like suspects, and the police examined everyone's handwriting.
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterWhatsapp
  • Molina Singh was flying with Akasa Air from Delhi to Mumbai when her plane was diverted.
  • After a note was found saying “Bomb on flight,” all passengers had their handwriting examined.
  • Some people’s belongings were damaged after luggage was left outside in a heat wave.

Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. Read preview

Bull

Thanks for signing up!
Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you’re on the go.

By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You can opt-out at any time by visiting our Preferences page or by clicking “unsubscribe” at the bottom of the email.

Bull

Advertisement

This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Molina Singh, a 22-year-old from Delhi who was on board Akasa Air Flight 1719 on June 3. It has been edited for length and clarity.

I haven’t traveled alone a lot — this was probably my second flight alone. My parents were worried about me because they think I’m a homebody.

I recently started working after college and joined the YouTube team for creator marketing and strategy. There was a creator campaign going on, and their head office is in Mumbai, so I traveled from Delhi for that.

This story is available exclusively to Business Insider
subscribers.
Become an Insider
and start reading now.

Have an account? .

The flight was in the air, and everything was going smoothly. Everyone was kind of asleep or just chilling, and suddenly, the cabin crew came up to all of us.

Advertisement

Everyone was woken from their naps and asked if a piece of cabin luggage was theirs. To the last row, no one identified the luggage.

I was sitting in row nine, so I could see the cabin crew working, and they seemed very confused. And suddenly, the captain announces that we’re landing. Turns out, they were diverting to Ahmedabad, which is a good hour away from our destination.

They said there was a security concern. And as a person who's not traveled a lot, I was like, "Shit, what's happening?"

It took us 15 minutes to land. No one told anyone anything, and everyone was confused. We were asked to vacate the plane immediately.

Advertisement

Everyone was supposed to leave their luggage inside the plane, but half of them took it. I left mine because the pilot himself asked me, and I couldn't say no. I put my phone and wallet in my overalls, and I left.

We thought they just wanted to check something for 15 or 20 minutes, but thank God I took stuff because we were stranded there for like 12 hours.


Related stories

So we were on the runway, and there was a heat wave in Ahmedabad. (Temperatures in Ahmedabad reached over 100 degrees Fahrenheit on June 3.)

Through overhearing cops, I figured out there was a tissue found in the plane that had "Bomb on flight" written on it.

Advertisement


Passengers take phone calls and wait on the runway at Ahmedabad Airport following a bomb threat scare in June 2024

Passengers waited on the tarmac at Ahmedabad Airport.

Courtesy of Molina Singh



Then they dragged us to arrivals at Ahmedabad Airport, where there was a barricaded area, which was very small for the 186 people on the plane.

The police asked us to write "Bomb on flight" in our own handwriting with our seat number.

People were worried because they didn't have cash or their phones, and they didn't let us go to the bathroom or give us water. It was just very hodgepodge.

At this point, you're not a customer of the airline, you're a suspect.

Advertisement

The police called out nine or 10 names who could match the handwriting. They took them to a separate area and made them do double and triple checks.

Then they took us all in two different sections to write "Bomb on flight," I think 36 times — dividing your tissue into four and writing on alternate sides.

Nothing is coming out of it. I think the problem was there was no protocol for this.

After three hours, they finally allowed us to get food and go to the bathroom, surrounded by a lot of police.

Advertisement

By 8 p.m., everyone had given up hope. This was also the time that everyone was trauma-bonded. I'm talking to aunties and people I've never talked to. We'd exchanged Instagrams. We were just using one phone and a charger to contact our parents and everyone.


Police officers and passengers on the runway with luggage strewn about on the tarmac at Ahmedabad Airport in June 2024.

Passengers, police, and luggage on the runway at Ahmedabad Airport.

Courtesy of Molina Singh



Finally, they gave us new boarding passes. It still took us two hours to board because they made us identify our luggage. Even in the night, it's burning hot. Because the luggage was under the direct sun for eight hours, people's MacBooks stopped working, and my lip gloss melted.

After we board the plane they give us a few packets of Namkeen, which are like chips. I'm like, "Oh wow, thank you for that compensation for the torture."

It was a wild experience. I think people were frightened and afraid at the start because no one gave us any information. We just figured it out on our own. After that, everyone was like, "Hey, this is something we have to get through."


Share15Tweet10Send
Previous Post

Obama’s dilemma: Balancing Democrats’ worry about Biden and maintaining influence with president

Next Post

Feroze Power: Pakistan’s First Renewable Energy EPC Company Offering Carbon Credits Facility

Related Posts

Govt to Hold Live Televised Auction for PIA Privatization on 23 December
Travel

Govt to Hold Live Televised Auction for PIA Privatization on 23 December

December 4, 2025
CEO explains how the unofficial 'papal airline' flies the pope
aviation

CEO explains how the unofficial ‘papal airline’ flies the pope

November 28, 2025
AirSial in Trouble? Plane Lands in Lahore, Passengers Furious as Luggage Still in Dubai
Travel

AirSial in Trouble? Plane Lands in Lahore, Passengers Furious as Luggage Still in Dubai

November 28, 2025
12 surprising carry-on items you're not allowed to take through airport security
carry-on

12 surprising carry-on items you’re not allowed to take through airport security

November 26, 2025
Good news for travelers: Flight cancellations drop as the government reopens
airlines

Good news for travelers: Flight cancellations drop as the government reopens

November 15, 2025
Marriott-Sonder guests are scrambling for refunds — expert explains how to get your money back
hotels

Marriott-Sonder guests are scrambling for refunds — expert explains how to get your money back

November 14, 2025

Popular Post

  • FRSHAR Mail

    FRSHAR Mail set to redefine secure communication, data privacy

    126 shares
    Share 50 Tweet 32
  • How to avoid buyer’s remorse when raising venture capital

    33 shares
    Share 337 Tweet 211
  • Microsoft to pay off cloud industry group to end EU antitrust complaint

    54 shares
    Share 22 Tweet 14
  • Capacity utilisation of Pakistan’s cement industry drops to lowest on record

    48 shares
    Share 19 Tweet 12
  • SingTel annual profit more than halves on $2.3bn impairment charge

    47 shares
    Share 19 Tweet 12
American Dollar Exchange Rate
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Daily The Business
  • Privacy Policy
Write us: info@dailythebusiness.com

© 2021 Daily The Business

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Add New Playlist

No Result
View All Result
  • Advertise
  • Contact Us
  • Daily The Business
  • Privacy Policy

© 2021 Daily The Business

This website uses cookies. By continuing to use this website you are giving consent to cookies being used. Visit our Privacy and Cookie Policy.