A Lucknow-bound Kingfisher Airlines flight with 166 passengers on board was grounded and searched in Mumbai on Thursday after an anonymous phone call warning of a bomb planted in the plane. The bomb disposal unit found no trace of explosives on the plane and the flight took off later in the evening. Police have traced the call to the Marol suburb of Mumbai.

The aircraft was taken to a remote bay and all the 179 people on board have been deplaned, a Kingfisher Airlines spokesperson told PTI.

The flight, IT-3149 was scheduled to take off from the Mumbai's domestic airport at 1645 hrs when the call came. Security personnel carried out a thorough search of the aircraft and evacuated passengers to the terminal building, the spokesperson said.

'Just as Kingfisher Airlines flight 3149 was preparing for departure from Mumbai to Lucknow, we received an alert from the Central Industrial Security Force control room notifying us that they had received a call saying there is a bomb on board this flight. The doors of the aircraft had not yet been shut and all 179 guests were immediately deplaned and the authorities were notified immediately. The aircraft has been moved to a remote bay and is being checked by the authorities,' said Kingfisher Airlines in a statement.