Air India has confirmed that the passengers of flight AI127, which was diverted to Iqaluit, Canada, on October 15 due to unforeseen circumstances, are now safely en route to their final destination, Chicago. The diversion was part of a coordinated emergency response following a bomb threat targeting multiple Air India flights.
Passengers were safely transported on a Canadian Air Force aircraft, which departed from Iqaluit at 03:54 hrs UTC. The flight is expected to reach Chicago at around 07:48 hrs UTC. Air India thanked Canadian authorities for their swift cooperation and praised the authorities at Iqaluit Airport for facilitating the safety of passengers and crew during this unexpected disruption.
The airline also expressed gratitude to passengers for their patience during the incident. “Their cooperation has been invaluable in ensuring the safety and well-being of our passengers,” Air India said in a statement, commending all involved parties.
This diversion occurred amid heightened security concerns following threats made against several Air India flights. The New Delhi-Chicago flight was one of multiple Air India planes impacted by the threat, which also included flights to New York and Singapore. While AI127 was diverted to Canada, a Mumbai-New York flight was forced to return to Delhi, and fighter jets were deployed to escort a flight en route to Singapore.
The U.S. government condemned these threats, emphasising that such actions against commercial aviation are taken very seriously. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller underscored the involvement of U.S. law enforcement agencies in addressing these threats, citing the Department of Justice’s central role in investigations.
For several months, separatist Sikh groups, primarily based in the U.S. and Canada, have made bomb threats targeting Air India flights. These security risks are now drawing international attention and intensifying scrutiny around the safety of commercial aviation, particularly on routes to and from India.