Air India flight makes emergency landing in Canada due to online security threat

(MENAFN) An Air India flight carrying 211 passengers and crew members was compelled to make an emergency landing in Canada’s High Arctic region on Tuesday due to an online security threat, according to Canada’s national police force. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) reported that Air India flight 127, which had departed from New Delhi and was headed to Chicago, landed safely in Iqaluit, Nunavut, at approximately 5:21 a.m. local time. All passengers and crew were safely evacuated and relocated to Iqaluit International Airport.

Air India announced on X that passengers were being screened and that the flight would resume as soon as possible. In a related development, India’s NDTV reported that ten Indian airline flights were grounded within 48 hours following threats that were later deemed hoaxes. These security concerns emerged in the context of Canada’s recent accusations linking the Indian government to criminal activities within Canada, including homicide and extortion.

The allegations surfaced as part of the RCMP’s investigation into the 2023 assassination of Canadian Sikh Hardeep Singh Nijjar, who advocated for the creation of a separate Sikh state in India. Following these revelations, Canada’s Foreign Minister Melanie Joly announced the expulsion of six Indian diplomats from Canada. In retaliation, New Delhi ordered six of Canada’s top diplomatic officials to leave India.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau emphasized on Monday that Canada “will never tolerate the involvement of a foreign government in threatening and killing Canadian citizens on Canadian soil,” describing such actions as a severe violation of Canada’s sovereignty and international law.

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