Mumbai: Caller asks Bombay airport hai? Operator hears bomb hai, sparks security scare
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traight out of a game of Chinese whispers...kinda. It's happened not once, but twice. And to blame is the erstwhile name of the city of Mumbai and the ease with which that word may end up sounding similar to something deadly.
An innocuous call asking about job opportunities at the Mumbai airport sparked a security scare this week after the caller uttered the word "Bombay" and the person who received the call misheard that as "bomb hai".
The comical incident was reminiscent of a similar call from last year when the caller asked about a "BOM-DEL" [Bombay-Delhi] flight and the receiver apparently misheard that as "bomb hai".
This week, an unemployed resident of Mumbai called up the Mumbai airport to inquire about job opportunities. The call was received by the airport's control room.
During the call, the man asked, "Bombay airport hai?" [Is this the Bombay airport], using the city of Mumbai's British-era name. However, the person who received the call at the airport control room misheard that as, "Bomb hai airport pe" [There is a bomb at the airport].
The airport staff then raised a security alarm, sparking an alert that lasted for a couple of hours.
NOT THE FIRST TIME
The incident this week was similar to one from last year. In January 2018, a man decided to call up the Mumbai airport to get an update on his flight.
The man claimed he asked about the status of his "BOM-DEL" flight, using the aviation codes used for the Mumbai and Delhi airports.
An innocuous call asking about job opportunities at the Mumbai airport sparked a security scare this week after the caller uttered the word "Bombay" and the person who received the call misheard that as "bomb hai".
The comical incident was reminiscent of a similar call from last year when the caller asked about a "BOM-DEL" [Bombay-Delhi] flight and the receiver apparently misheard that as "bomb hai".
This week, an unemployed resident of Mumbai called up the Mumbai airport to inquire about job opportunities. The call was received by the airport's control room.
During the call, the man asked, "Bombay airport hai?" [Is this the Bombay airport], using the city of Mumbai's British-era name. However, the person who received the call at the airport control room misheard that as, "Bomb hai airport pe" [There is a bomb at the airport].
The airport staff then raised a security alarm, sparking an alert that lasted for a couple of hours.
NOT THE FIRST TIME
The incident this week was similar to one from last year. In January 2018, a man decided to call up the Mumbai airport to get an update on his flight.
The man claimed he asked about the status of his "BOM-DEL" flight, using the aviation codes used for the Mumbai and Delhi airports.
