80 flights received hoax bomb threats since Monday night | Business News
The spate of bomb threats to Indian airlines is just not abating with around 80 flights receiving threats between late night Monday and late afternoon Tuesday, it is learnt. Around 50 international and domestic flights across airlines—Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air, and Vistara—received threats on social media Tuesday afternoon, sources said. This was in addition to at least 30 flights receiving threats late Monday. The total number of such threats has crossed 170 over nine days.
As many as 13 flights each of Air India and IndiGo, 12 flights of Akasa Air, and 11 flights of Vistara received bomb threats on Tuesday, sources said. A few of these flights also declared general emergencies, per flight tracking data. Ten flights each of IndiGo, Air India, and Vistara received bomb threats late at night Monday. This had led to three Jeddah-bound flights of IndiGo being diverted to other airports—two within Saudi Arabia and one to Doha.
According to sources, Tuesday’s threats were posted by four anonymous and unverified X accounts, all of which were later restricted by the social media platform. Nearly all the threats since October 14 came through posts from such accounts, which were set up recently most likely for this purpose. While security protocols could still be underway for a few flights affected on Tuesday, all threats over the past nine days turned out to be fake.
IndiGo confirmed that it received threats for 13 flights Tuesday, while Air India, Akasa Air, and Vistara said that some of their flights received threats, but did not specify the numbers. Earlier in the day, IndiGo, Air India, and Vistara confirmed receiving threats that were posted late on Monday. Indian airlines have been hit by a spate of bomb hoaxes since October 14. The threats have forced a few flight diversions, strict post-landing security checks and screenings.
The government plans to take legislative action to deal with fake bomb threats to aircraft and make the punishments harsher to deter pranksters from posting such threats. Among the moves in the works are changes to the Aircraft Security Rules—which would allow culprits to be banned from flying—and amendments to the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation (SUASCA) Act, 1982, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said Monday.
Security has been enhanced at various airports with the number of security checks at various checkpoints being increased.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
