Man boards SpiceJet flight to Goa with knife, creates scare

In a serious breach of security at IGI airport, a passenger boarded a Goa-bound aircraft with a knife in his handbag. Once on board, he declared to passengers that he wanted to expose the security at India's most sensitive airport and then brandished the kitchen knife.

Minister of state in Prime Minister's Office, Jitendra Singh, was also on board the SpiceJet flight on which the drama was unfolding. As soon as the man made this announcement, SpiceJet personnel on board -which included both ground personnel as the plane was on tarmac and crew -immediately caught hold of him and called airport security .

Confirming this, a SpiceJet spokesman said, “ A passenger on board SpiceJet flight SG 144 from Delhi to Goa on Thursday reported to the cabin crew that he had a kitchen knife in his hand baggage. The aircraft was at that point still on ground.The SpiceJet staff immediately brought the matter to the attention of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF).“


He added, “The passenger was offloaded and handed over to the airport police. The flight was released after all necessary checks as per regulatory guidelines. At SpiceJet, the safety and security of its passengers, crew and aircraft is of utmost importance.“ A person managing to board an aircraft with a knife in the handbag is an alleged lapse by the frisking personnel. The CISF spokesman did not comment on this till the time of going to press.