Airlines

Air India issues advisory for passengers from China, 5 other countries

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Air India on Thursday issued a new travel advisory for all passengers departing from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, and Thailand in light of the rapid Covid increase in various nations.

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According to the advisory, travellers from these nations will now be required to take a required RTPCR test within 72 hours of their flight and upload their reports to the Air Suvidha portal starting on January 1st, 2023.

#ImportantAnnouncement
Effective 1st Jan 2023, all passengers travelling from China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand to India have to undergo a mandatory RTPCR test within 72 hours of the journey, and upload its report on the Air Suvidha portal. #AirIndia pic.twitter.com/HIPELHMTM3
— Air India (@airindiain) December 29, 2022
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This requirement is in addition to the random 2% testing of all international passengers on all arriving international planes upon their arrival in India, regardless of port of departure. This is being done in light of how COVID19 is now affecting the world, particularly in the aforementioned countries.

In response to an increase in coronavirus cases in various nations, the government has issued an alert, strengthened Covid standards, and advised states and Union territories to be ready for everything.

According to data from the Union Health Ministry published on Thursday, India saw 268 new coronavirus infections, while the number of active cases increased to 3,552.

Airlines

A 17-yr boy was arrested for making a hoax bomb threat, causing multiple flight diversions and delays.

Mumbai police have detained a 17-year-old boy from Chhattisgarh who allegedly issued bomb threats to multiple international flights via social media. According to the police, the minor made the threats to settle a financial dispute by framing another person.

The incident began on Monday night when a New York-bound Air India flight, originally departing from Mumbai, had to be diverted to New Delhi after receiving a bomb threat. The flight was later rescheduled. That same evening, two other international flights operated by IndiGo, heading to Jeddah and Muscat, also received similar threats, causing delays of several hours.

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The investigation revealed that all three threats originated from posts made by the minor from Chhattisgarh, leading to his detention. He was subsequently handed over to the local Juvenile Justice Board. The Mumbai police found that the boy had used the name and picture of another individual, also from Chhattisgarh, to create a fake social media account and issue the threats. The intention, according to the police, was to frame the other person and settle a score over a financial disagreement.

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The situation escalated on Tuesday, when a total of seven flights, including one bound for the United States, received similar threats through a social media handle. Security agencies initiated counter-terrorist drills at various airports to ensure safety. Further investigation into the minor’s actions and motivations is ongoing.