Turkish jet called back from Mumbai airport runway over unclaimed phone

A Turkish Airlines flight scheduled to fly to Istanbul was called back from a runway at the Mumbai airport on Monday after an unclaimed mobile phone was spotted in the aircraft before take-off.

Around 250 passengers on board the aircraft were evacuated and were frisked again after being allowed back into the jet.

“The flight was about to take off when it was called back due to security threat,” a passenger on board the Mumbai-Istanbul flight told Hindustan Times. The mobile phone was found under the seat of a passenger.

Following the standard operating procedure, the cockpit crew reported the matter to the Mumbai air traffic control tower which directed the aircraft to head towards a parking bay in a remote area.

“The airline staff noticed an unclaimed mobile phone. The aircraft is being checked for any possible threat,” a Central Industrial Security Force official said on condition of anonymity.

The take-off of the flight was rescheduled for 11.30am after security teams cleared it.

Mumbai International Airport Limited fines unattended baggage items as they result in security scares.