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Did A Rogue Tweet Just Force A Jet Airways Emergency Landing?

Did A Rogue Tweet Just Force A Jet Airways Emergency Landing?
Airbus A330-203 Brussels - Zaventem [BRU / EBBR] 06-08-2008
Pieter v Marion/Flickr
Airbus A330-203 Brussels - Zaventem [BRU / EBBR] 06-08-2008

A Dubai-bound Jet Airways flight from Mumbai made an emergency landing in Muscat after reports of a bomb threat today. The flight (9W-536) was diverted to Muscat airport after the pilot received a bomb threat and warned the air traffic controllers about it.

Jet Airways put out a statement on Twitter, saying that the 54 passengers on board were evacuated and the Omani security agencies are carrying out a search on the aircraft.

Now reports are pointing to a tweet sent out this morning as a possible culprit that might have forced the landing.

Bomb spotted in #JetAirways 9W-536 from Mumbai to Dubai dep. At 12:25 from CSIA...... #OperationBadla

— Surinder Partap (@PartapSurinder) July 9, 2015

Times Of Oman executive editor Scott Armstrong told NDTV: "The tweet seem to have caused the bomb threat alert."

The account, which as as yet not been taken down or suspended, has only made 5 tweets so far. The tweet with the threat is perhaps the most coherent. The account first tweeted on 1 May and the given location for the person is Ludhiana in Punjab. In a tweet posted hours before the bomb threat, he tweeted: "I was also involved in #VyapamScam".

This is how social media is reacting to the news:

Did a fake tweet lead to bomb scare on Jet Airways flight? These are chillingly scary times, some serious criminals hiding behind anonymity.

— Sagarika Ghose (@sagarikaghose) July 9, 2015

Jet airways plane diverted to Muscat because of bomb hoax,Turkish Airways plane diverted to Delhi 2 days ago in hoax,crazy times !

— sonia singh (@soniandtv) July 9, 2015

This tweet 8 hrs ago caused a Bomb Scare in Jet Airways. @PartapSurinder may get arrested if Cops trace him. https://t.co/D50P83yvam

— Panun Kashmir (@WandererSS6) July 9, 2015

Acc to @Timesnow This was the tweet which led to emergency landing of Jet airways.

Seems to be a Fake Account ! https://t.co/iSnSwKromZ

— Shivani Saxena (@shivanisxn) July 9, 2015

However, there has been no official statement from Jet Airways regarding the tweet.

The plane landed in Muscat around 1pm, an official at the Oman Airport Management Company (OAMC), told Gulf News. The official added that explosives team brought to the spot found no explosives on the flight.

General Manager, Jet Airways, Oman, Riyaz Kuttery, told reporters, "It was taken to an isolated bay and all the passengers were evacuated. The flight is right now grounded at Muscat International Airport and we are waiting for clearances from the concerned authorities to fly again."

The alleged bomb threat comes two days after a Turkish Airlines plane landed at Delhi airport following a bomb scare. No explosive was, however, found and the aircraft was allowed to leave.

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This article exists as part of the online archive for HuffPost India, which closed in 2020. Some features are no longer enabled. If you have questions or concerns about this article, please contact indiasupport@huffpost.com.