Business travellers passing through Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport on 29 January were caught in a security lockdown after a passenger joked he was carrying "two small bombs". The remark—made at Gate 30 during the final boarding call for IndiGo flight 6E-586 to Ahmedabad—triggered an immediate Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) response. Passengers already seated were deboarded, the Airbus A320 was towed to an isolation bay and bomb-detection squads combed the aircraft and baggage.
No explosive device was found, but the incident delayed departure by almost two hours and rippled across IndiGo’s tightly banked morning schedule. The 52-year-old offender, a Bengaluru apparel trader, was arrested and later released on station bail; he faces charges under India’s Aircraft Act for endangering the safety of an aircraft.
![Hoax bomb threat stalls Bengaluru–Ahmedabad IndiGo flight for two hours]()
For corporates the episode is a reminder that India maintains a zero-tolerance approach to security jokes. Similar incidents in Delhi (2024) and Goa (2025) led to multi-hour disruptions and passenger blacklisting. Mobility managers should brief assignees unfamiliar with local protocols that even sarcastic references to weapons can constitute a criminal offence.
In this context, VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) can streamline e-Visa applications, monitor real-time airport security advisories and push instant alerts to corporate travel teams, helping travellers stay compliant and avoid last-minute complications when passing through high-security hubs like Bengaluru.
From an operational standpoint airlines are likely to push for faster clearance processes after false alarms, but security authorities say every threat must be treated as genuine until proven otherwise. Travellers are advised to allow extra buffer time when connecting through Indian hubs during peak hours.
No explosive device was found, but the incident delayed departure by almost two hours and rippled across IndiGo’s tightly banked morning schedule. The 52-year-old offender, a Bengaluru apparel trader, was arrested and later released on station bail; he faces charges under India’s Aircraft Act for endangering the safety of an aircraft.
For corporates the episode is a reminder that India maintains a zero-tolerance approach to security jokes. Similar incidents in Delhi (2024) and Goa (2025) led to multi-hour disruptions and passenger blacklisting. Mobility managers should brief assignees unfamiliar with local protocols that even sarcastic references to weapons can constitute a criminal offence.
In this context, VisaHQ’s India portal (https://www.visahq.com/india/) can streamline e-Visa applications, monitor real-time airport security advisories and push instant alerts to corporate travel teams, helping travellers stay compliant and avoid last-minute complications when passing through high-security hubs like Bengaluru.
From an operational standpoint airlines are likely to push for faster clearance processes after false alarms, but security authorities say every threat must be treated as genuine until proven otherwise. Travellers are advised to allow extra buffer time when connecting through Indian hubs during peak hours.
