Diversions, delays as 7 flights of Indian carriers receive bomb threats | Business News

In most cases, the threats were found to be hoaxes and the aircraft were released by security agencies after thorough checks and passenger screening, per sources. Requisite security checks are currently underway in a couple of cases that involved flight diversions, it is learnt.

All the threats came from the same account—@schizobomber777—on social media platform X. Sources indicated that security agencies are probing the account to identify the person or group behind it. The nondescript account was set up on the social media platform only recently and appears to have been made for the purpose of issuing bomb threats to airlines, a source in one of the airlines said.

Although most bomb threats turn out to be fake, airlines as well as aviation authorities globally take them with utmost seriousness.

“Flight AI127 operating from Delhi to Chicago on October 15, 2024, was the subject of a security threat posted online and, as a precautionary measure, has landed at Iqaluit Airport in Canada. The aircraft and passengers are being re-screened as per the laid down security protocol. Air India has activated agencies at the airport to assist the passengers until such time that their journey can resume,” an Air India spokesperson said.

The Air India spokesperson noted that Indian carriers have been subject to a number of hoax threats in recent days, adding that all such threats are taken seriously. The airline said that it is extending cooperation to the authorities in identifying the perpetrators of such threats “to ensure that they are held accountable for the disruption and inconvenience caused to passengers”. The carrier will also consider legal action against those responsible to recover damages incurred by it due to the fake threats.

Whenever an aircraft receives a bomb threat, a detailed security protocol is followed which includes diverting the aircraft to a nearby suitable airport and taking it to an isolated bay, where passengers are quickly made to deplane. The aircraft as well as passengers’ bags are subject to a thorough security inspection before being allowed to take off again. The security checks, which often take a few hours, result in disruptions like delays and even rescheduling of the remainder of the flight in some cases, which hit the airlines financially.

IndiGo’s Dammam-Lucknow flight—6E98—which was scheduled to arrive in Lucknow at 6:25 pm, was diverted to Jaipur, where the aircraft was undergoing the mandatory security checks.

“We are cognisant of a situation involving flight 6E 98 from Dammam to Lucknow. The safety and security of our passengers and crew is our highest priority and we are working closely with the relevant authorities and taking all necessary precautions as per the guidelines,” IndiGo said in a statement.

Air India Express’s Jaipur-Ayodhya-Bengaluru flight IX765 was held up at the Ayodhya airport for several hours due to the bomb threat. The flight finally departed for Bengaluru at 6:21 pm, after a delay of nearly three-and-a-half hours, per flight tracking data.

“Air India Express, along with a few other operators, received a specific security threat from an unverified social media handle. In response, security protocols were promptly activated as directed by the Government-appointed Bomb Threat Assessment Committee,” an Air India Express spokesperson said.

In the case of the Air India Express flight and the affected flights of Akasa Air and SpiceJet, diversions were not required as the threats came in while the aircraft were already close to their respective destinations, it is learnt.

“SpiceJet flight SG 116, operating on the Darbhanga-Mumbai sector, was informed by Mumbai ATC during descent of a bomb threat conveyed via a tweet. The aircraft landed safely at Mumbai Airport and was directed to an isolation bay as a precautionary measure. All passengers disembarked normally, and security agencies were immediately notified. After thorough security checks, the aircraft has been cleared for further operations,” a SpiceJet spokesperson said.

“Akasa Air flight QP 1373, flying from Bagdogra to Bengaluru on October 15, 2024, and carrying 167 passengers, 2 infants and 7 crew members on board, received a security alert on board. The Captain followed all required emergency procedures and landed safely at Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru at 13:39 hrs. All passengers were deplaned, and the local authorities undertook the necessary safety and security checks after which, the aircraft was released for operations,” an Akasa Air spokesperson said, adding that the passengers exited the airport terminal at 4:30 pm on completion of the required safety procedures.

Over the past few months, a number of Indian airlines’ flights have received fake bomb threats. Just last month, a Vistara flight from Mumbai to Frankfurt was diverted to Erzurum airport in Turkey’s eastern region following a bomb threat. While the threat turned out to be a hoax, the incident became an ordeal for the passengers who were stuck in Erzurum for nearly 24 hours.

This was because by the time the necessary security checks were completed, the crew had exceeded its flight duty time limitations, which meant it could not have operated a flight without a mandatory rest period. Consequently, Vistara had to send an alternative aircraft with a fresh set of crew to fly the passengers stuck in Erzurum to Frankfurt.