More than 150 Singapore-bound passengers endured 14 hours of agonising wait Tuesday at the Kempegowda International Airport after a passenger raised threat of firearms that proved to be a hoax.

Scoot Airlines flight RR573 scheduled to depart for Singapore from KIA airport at 1.20 am taxied late to the runway and was about to take off at 1.48 am, when a passenger raised an alarm claiming that he noticed a gun in the luggage.

The takeoff was cancelled and a thorough search of the baggage was held only for the KIA to find that it was a hoax call.

A statement from Scoot read: “A hoax security threat was made at 01.48 hrs on April 23, 2019, relating to Scoot Airlines Flight TR573 (BLR – SIN). Standard security protocols and procedures were followed and no suspicious items found. A passenger was de-boarded from the flight by the CISF.

The remaining passengers and baggage were also de-boarded and rescreened for security and immigration clearance.”

Extended security

The extended security check made the flight’s crew stay more than the allotted time, due to which the airline arranged a fresh crew and the flight eventually took off for Singapore at 4.20 pm. 

The statement added, “A replacement aircraft and crew are being flown into Bangalore. The flight is now scheduled to depart Bengaluru to Singapore at 1620 hrs on April 23, 2019. Meanwhile, food and refreshments have been organised. During this time, there was no impact on operations at the Airport.
At Bengaluru Airport, we treat all security threats very seriously and work in coordination with security agencies to ensure the safety of our passengers.”

An airline spokesperson said, “Due to a verbal security threat, a passenger had to be removed from the flight by airport security. All passengers were required to undergo security screening and immigration clearance again, and no suspicious items were found. As a result of the additional security procedures, flight time limits of the operating crew were exceeded.”