New Delhi: Most Airlines in the Country Receiving Bomb Threats

Most airlines in the country are receiving continuous bomb threats. Late Monday night, 30 aircraft received threats of being bombed, including domestic and international flights from IndiGo, Vistara, and Air India. In the past eight days, over 120 aircraft have received bomb threat warnings, though all these threats have been proven false after investigation.

An IndiGo spokesperson stated on Tuesday that four of its flights received security alerts on Monday. These include flight 6E164 from Mangaluru to Mumbai, flight 6E75 from Ahmedabad to Jeddah, flight 6E67 from Hyderabad to Jeddah, and flight 6E118 from Lucknow to Pune. Spokespersons from Vistara and Air India confirmed that some of their flights also received security threats, adding that they informed the relevant authorities and strictly followed all protocols.

Just a day earlier, Civil Aviation Minister K. Ram Mohan Naidu stated that while the threats to airlines may be fake, they cannot be taken lightly. He mentioned that strict laws would be introduced against such threats and that those making such threats could be included in a "no-fly list." He also noted that the central government plans to amend the Aircraft Security Act of 1982 to address unlawful acts against aviation security. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) is in constant contact with the Home Ministry regarding this issue.

Government Takes Strict Steps in Response to Threats

On October 16, the government decided to double the number of air marshals on flights. On the same day, the Home Ministry requested a report from the Civil Aviation Ministry regarding the fake threats. Reports were requested from the CISF, NIA, and IB.

On October 19, the BCAS held a meeting with the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of all airline companies to discuss how to handle false threats. The meeting also addressed passenger inconvenience and the financial losses to airlines. On the same day, the central government removed DGCA chief Vikram Dev Dutt from his position and appointed him as secretary in the Ministry of Coal, which is being linked to the threat cases.

Mumbai police have arrested one person in connection with this matter. Additionally, a minor from Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh has been taken into custody for threatening an IndiGo flight with a bomb.

A passenger at Kochi Airport in Kerala was also detained on Monday for allegedly making a bomb threat.

It is noteworthy that the threats received by airlines over the past eight days have resulted in losses exceeding ₹200 crores. When there is a bomb threat, flights are diverted to the nearest airports instead of landing at their scheduled destinations. This not only increases fuel consumption but also requires rechecking the aircraft, arranging accommodations for passengers in hotels, and coordinating their transport to their final destinations. In fact, this week, over 70 domestic and international flights from Vistara, Air India, IndiGo, Akasa, SpiceJet, Star Air, and Alliance Air have received such threats.