Hyderabad, Nov 23 (IANS) A Gulf Air flight from Bahrain to Hyderabad was diverted to Mumbai after a bomb threat was received at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport here on Sunday.

Flight GF274 with 154 passengers on board was diverted to Mumbai Airport after an email was received at Hyderabad Airport that a bomb has been planted on the aircraft.

According to sources at Hyderabad Airport, the bomb threat email was received on customer support id at 3 a.m.

In view of this, the flight, which had taken off from Bahrain at 10:20 p.m. on Saturday and was scheduled to land at Hyderabad Airport at 4.55 a.m. on Sunday, was diverted to Mumbai.

The flight later took off from Mumbai and landed at Hyderabad Airport at 11:31 a.m.

Gulf Air also released a statement that flight GF274, which was heading from Bahrain to Hyderabad, was diverted to Mumbai Airport in accordance with security and safety requirements.

Bahrain’s national carrier said the aircraft landed safely and continued its journey after the relevant authorities completed the approved safety protocols, arriving at its final destination at Hyderabad Airport.

Similar bomb threats were received by Hyderabad Airport authorities.

In June, a Hyderabad-bound Lufthansa flight from Frankfurt returned to the German airport after a bomb threat was received at the Hyderabad Airport.

Officials had said in the interest of safety, the airline was advised to divert back to the origin or the nearest suitable airport.

Later, the Air Traffic Control (ATC) at the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad received a message that the flight was returning to Frankfurt.

Also in June, authorities at Begumpet Airport had received bomb threat.

After a thorough check, it was declared a hoax.

The security agencies had gone on high alert after airport authorities received an email about the bomb threat.

Begumpet Airport has been handling chartered flights and military operations since 2008, when the commercial operations were shifted to Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad on the city outskirts.

–IANS

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