Days after Ahmedabad plane crash, Delhi-bound Air India flight from Birmingham diverted to Riyadh due to...

An Air India flight from Birmingham, United Kingdom to Delhi was diverted to Riyadh on Friday after receiving a bomb threat while in the air. The plane made an emergency landing in the Saudi Arabian capital, where security agencies conducted a thorough inspection of the aircraft. No explosive material was found during the checks. "The aircraft has landed safely, all passengers have been deplaned, and security checks have been completed," a spokesperson for the Tata Group-owned airline said in a statement.

Passengers accommodated in hotels
After deboarding, the passengers were accommodated in hotels as the airline arranged for their travel to India. The replacement flight was expected to depart from the Riyadh airport for Delhi within 24 hours. Riyadh was chosen as the landing point because of its proximity as well as its availability of emergency handling facilities.

Air India facing operational issues
The incident comes at a time when Air India and its subsidiary, Air India Express, are already facing a flurry of operational issues, leading to last-minute flight delays and cancellations. The carriers cumulatively operate more than 1,100 flights every day, transporting over 1.5 lakh people. India's aviation regulator -- the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) -- has asked Air India to carry out enhanced pre-flight safety audits and temporarily reduce some services to maintain operational stability.

Air India plane crash tragedy
The DGCA mandate came after an Air India plane carrying 242 people -- 230 passengers and 12 crew members -- crashed moments after taking off from the Ahmedabad international airport, killing almost everyone on board. The accident marked one of India's deadliest aviation accidents ever. The plane crashed in a residential area close to the airport and killed dozens others on the ground. Ramesh Viswashkumar, a 40-year-old British citizen of Indian origin, is the sole survivor of the tragic incident.