Air India flight leaves Iqaluit after Canadian military steps in

Passengers on Air India's flight 127 have finally made their way to Chicago, after the Canadian military took exceptional measures to get them out of Nunavut. 

An online bomb threat forced the plane, which was flying from New Delhi, to divert to Iqaluit early Tuesday morning.

A Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Airbus A-330 from Ontario's CFB Trenton whisked the 211 passengers and crew out of Iqaluit late Tuesday night. Passengers spent 18 hours stranded at the Iqaluit airport's international security zone. 

In a statement shared on X Tuesday night, Emergency Preparedness Minister Harjit Sajjan said he approved a request for the Canadian military resources, as Iqaluit was "not equipped to house these passengers" and the airline "hasn't found a solution."

In a statement to CBC News, Canadian Armed Forces spokesperson Kened Sadiku said the military received a request for assistance from Public Safety Canada.

It determined that "rapid relocation of an RCAF aircraft to bring the passengers to their original destination in Chicago was the best way forward to all involved, including the passengers," according to Sadiku.

For hours, the Air India plane wasn't checked for bombs, because Nunavut doesn't have explosives detective units, according to Nunavut RCMP. Specialists from outside the territory arrived later in the day. 

Tuesday's incident was the fourth threat Air India said it's received in recent days, causing it to make the emergency landing in Iqaluit as a "precautionary measure."

While this incident is still under investigation, the previous three threats were hoaxes. 

It's been less than a year since Canada began investigating other threats against Air India.

'They abandoned us here'

CBC spoke to a number of passengers before their departure from Iqaluit, who said they were furious over what they said was "zero communication" from Air India.

"They abandoned us here and left," Stuti Mahajan said.

Like many other passengers, she left her belongings on the plane, as instructed by airline staff. 

"There are family members back home who haven't heard from loved ones back home, because [the passengers] don't have their phones," Mahajan said.

"There was a lady waiting for her medication … that was on the flight."

Aruna Vallavhaaneni-Amin shared those frustrations, but also had praise for Iqaluit airport staff. 

"They made sure we had games, a TV … they had a physician, two nurses and a pharmacist," she said.

Deepika Chhillar found a silver lining in being cooped up inside the terminal. 

"We actually made some human contact, we made friends, we have a WhatsApp group going," she said.  

It isn't the first time passengers have been stranded in Iqaluit after a flight diversion. Past incidents include a Swiss International Air Lines plane in 2017 and a Delta Airlines plane that saw passengers accommodated at a local bar, in 2014.