Who is Abhay Nayak? India-origin man behind mid-air bomb threat on UK flight

India Today

29-07-2025

A 41-year-old man of Indian origin, Abhay Devdas Nayak, appeared before a Scottish court on Monday after allegedly causing disruption aboard an easyJet flight from London Luton to Glasgow. The incident, which occurred on Sunday morning, led to his arrest upon landing.Nayak, a resident of Luton in Bedfordshire, was charged with assault and endangering the safety of an aircraft under the UK's Air Navigation Order. He did not submit a plea when he was presented at Paisley Sheriff Court, located near Glasgow. He has been remanded in custody and is scheduled to appear in court again next week.advertisementPassengers aboard the flight reported that Nayak began shouting alarming slogans, including "Death to America," "Death to Trump," and "Allahu Akbar." Several videos of the incident, recorded by co-passengers, have since gone viral on social media.
In response to the disturbance, fellow passengers restrained Nayak by forcing him to the floor. The pilot then initiated emergency procedures and landed the aircraft at Glasgow Airport, where Scotland's police officers arrested him.POLICE SAY NO TERROR LINK SUSPECTED"We were called to a report of a man causing a disturbance on a flight arriving into Glasgow around 8:20 am on Sunday, 27 July, 2025," Police Scotland said in an official statement."We believe the incident to be contained and that nobody else was involved. We are aware of videos circulating online and these are being assessed by counter-terrorism officers," the statement added.Despite the nature of Nayak's chants, authorities have not filed terrorism-related charges. Instead, the charges are focused on his disruptive and dangerous conduct under aviation safety laws.One of the key charges against Nayak pertains to reckless or negligent behavior that could have endangered an aircraft or any person on board. This falls under the scope of the UK's Air Navigation Order, which governs civil aviation safety.The court proceedings are expected to continue next week, with further investigations into the incident underway.- EndsWith inputs from PTI