Mumbai In October, police documented 14 cases involving bomb threats against airlines.
On Tuesday, over 100 planes operated by Indian airlines received bomb threats, part of a series in which over 510 domestic and foreign flights experienced similar fake threats in the previous 16 days, largely from social media, increasing concerns about aviation security. According to PTI, Air India received bomb threats for roughly 36 flights, IndiGo for around 35 flights, and Vistara for 32 flights.
“Following the laid down protocols, relevant authorities were immediately alerted, and all security procedures strictly adhered to, as per guidance from the regulatory authorities,” an airline representative told the news agency.
The Mumbai police have filed a case against an unidentified person after three airlines got bomb threats on their X accounts, according to an official.
IndiGo, Air India, and Vistara received these threats on Monday, which were later verified as hoaxes, according to the official.
In October, Mumbai Police recorded 14 FIRs in connection with bomb threats against airlines. In response to the growing number of hoax threats, the IT Ministry has directed social media platforms to take appropriate action and immediately remove or disable access to misinformation in accordance with IT regulations.
Furthermore, the civil aviation ministry is proposing legal steps to combat the problem of false bomb threats against airlines.
On Sunday, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu stated that the Centre is considering banning individuals who make hoax bomb threats from flying, aiming to address the growing issue of such threats affecting airlines. On Saturday, Delhi Police arrested a 25-year-old man from Uttam Nagar for allegedly sending two bomb threats to airlines. The two posts were sent to IGI Airport police, who are already on “high alert” due to the regular hoax threats.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation has introduced updated protocols in response to a surge in bomb threats, with over 500 received within the past 16 days. According to a report in CNN-News18, the mandate requires a comprehensive assessment of each threat, including the origin and credibility of the source, to determine whether the threat is specific or non-specific.
The revised guidelines from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security outline several new indicators for assessing threats, which now include factors such as the identity and potential organisational affiliations of the person making the threat, any motive behind the threat, whether it was issued from a verified social media account, and whether high-profile individuals are targeted.
These enhanced criteria are intended to optimise reaction to the high volume of threats, which can reach up to 50 in a single day, while also conserving resources, labor, and operational costs.
Recent arrests and investigation operations.
The increase in bomb threats has resulted in increased security at Indian airports, with several arrests made in this regard. On October 29, the Nagpur Police Special Branch named 35-year-old Jagdish Uikey as a key suspect in a series of hoax threats. However, he is still at large. Previously, on October 17, a 17-year-old was arrested in Mumbai for allegedly sending bomb threats on the social networking site X (previously Twitter), and immediately after, a 25-year-old in Delhi was apprehended for emailing identical hoaxes to airlines.
To address this issue, the Indian government has warned social media platforms, including X, about the need to promptly remove such misinformation, stating that failure to do so could lead to “consequential action”. Officials underscore that these threats, though often hoaxes, disrupt public order and endanger economic stability. Due to these threats, Indian airlines have had to divert international flights and make emergency landings in foreign countries, including Canada, Germany, and Turkey.
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