Two Europe-to-India Flights Turn Back Mid-Air: Bomb Threat and Technical Failure Disrupt Services

Frankfurt/London | June 9, 2025
Two separate flights from Europe to India had to return mid-air on Sunday due to unrelated emergencies—a bomb threat and a technical malfunction—both involving Boeing 787 aircraft.

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Lufthansa Flight to Hyderabad Returns After Bomb Threat

A Lufthansa flight en route to Hyderabad, India, from Frankfurt, Germany, made a mid-air U-turn on Sunday evening following a suspected bomb threat.

Flight LH752, operated by a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, had departed Frankfurt at around 14:15 local time, but reversed course after reaching the western coast of the Black Sea. The aircraft landed back at Frankfurt Airport by 18:40.

A senior official at Hyderabad’s Rajiv Gandhi International Airport confirmed to The Hindu:

“We checked with the airline and it has been confirmed that there was allegedly a bomb threat and that is why it was diverted.”

According to PTI, passengers were informed that the aircraft was not granted permission to land in India due to the threat. Lufthansa reportedly arranged overnight accommodation for all passengers, and rescheduled the flight for Monday morning at 10 AM using the same aircraft.

While Lufthansa has not officially confirmed the cause, the airline’s website marked LH752 as “diverted,” and Frankfurt Airport spokespersons acknowledged the flight’s return.

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British Airways Flight to Chennai Returns Due to Technical Fault

In a separate incident on the same day, a British Airways flight from London to Chennai also returned mid-air due to a flap adjustment failure.

Flight BA35, operated by a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, took off from London’s Heathrow Airport at 11:45 UTC. About 45 minutes later, the aircraft began circling over the Strait of Dover, where it reportedly dumped fuel and attempted to manage the malfunction.

According to flight tracking service Flightradar24, the plane remained in a holding pattern for nearly an hour before safely returning to Heathrow by 2:00 UTC.

Aviation-focused social media accounts indicated that the issue was likely a flap adjustment failure, meaning the crew may have lost precise control over the wing flaps—crucial for speed and landing.

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A Day of Disruptions for India-bound Dreamliners

These two separate incidents, both involving Boeing 787 aircraft and routes to India, have raised concerns over aircraft safety and operational disruptions.

• Lufthansa LH752: Returned to Frankfurt after a bomb threat
• British Airways BA35: Returned to London due to flap control malfunction

Airline and airport authorities are expected to issue more detailed statements following internal reviews and safety checks.