Indian airlines faced another turbulent day as bomb threats targeted 80 domestic and international flights, prompting emergency responses across airports nationwide. Air India, Vistara, IndiGo, and Akasa Air were among the carriers affected by the recent wave of threats, with some flights diverted, delayed, or inspected, heightening concerns over air travel security.
According to sources, Air India, Vistara, and IndiGo each saw approximately 20 flights receiving threats, while Akasa Air faced threats on 13 flights. SpiceJet and Alliance Air were also impacted, with each reporting threats to five flights. The cumulative disruptions over the past 11 days have affected over 250 flights, leading authorities to seek the cooperation of social media platforms Meta and X (formerly Twitter) to stem these ongoing hoaxes.
An IndiGo spokesperson confirmed that specific flights received bomb threat alerts, including international routes such as Delhi to Istanbul, Mumbai to Istanbul, and Jeddah to Mumbai, as well as several domestic connections linking cities like Bengaluru, Kolkata, Hyderabad, and Goa. “After thorough inspections, all the affected aircraft were cleared for operations,” the spokesperson added.
Across multiple airports, emergency protocols were swiftly activated. At Bhubaneswar’s Biju Patnaik International Airport, a threat concerning an Akasa Air flight prompted an inspection, after which the plane was cleared for departure. In Kolkata, authorities moved several flights to isolation bays for security checks, and ongoing delays were reported at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, further impacted by weather-related suspensions due to Cyclone Dana.
At Gorakhpur Airport, an Akasa Air flight from Bengaluru was delayed by a bomb threat, causing an IndiGo flight to Hyderabad to be delayed by 30 minutes and an Akasa flight to Delhi by four hours.
The government has held discussions with airlines and social media companies to curb the menace of online bomb threats. In a virtual meeting chaired by IT Ministry Joint Secretary Sanket S. Bhondve, officials urged platforms such as X and Meta to promptly cooperate with law enforcement agencies by sharing information on those making threats. Participants said the ministry expects platforms to provide details of those posting such messages to aid investigations.
An X spokesperson stated, “We prohibit violent threats on X and take any such reports seriously, including threats to critical infrastructure.” The company has not clarified its approach to sharing user information but noted that it would work to improve platform safety.
Several of the recent threats appear to originate from X, with the perpetrators reportedly using VPNs to obscure their identities. Two accounts, @schizobomber777 and @adamlanza111, both of which were recently created, are allegedly responsible for numerous bomb threats directed at Indian airlines.
Legal experts say the Indian IT Act’s Section 66F on cyber terrorism, along with Sections 351 and 353 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), provides an adequate legal framework to prosecute individuals issuing such threats. These laws criminalize threats over digital channels that disrupt critical infrastructure, potentially making perpetrators subject to severe penalties.
Airlines have requested that the government work with social media companies to proactively identify and intercept these threats. “Airlines want social media companies to detect threats before they’re posted and inform authorities,” a source close to the matter said.
The ongoing bomb threats have had wide-ranging implications, with some incidents triggering international responses. Earlier in October, the Royal Air Force and Singapore Armed Forces had to deploy fighter jets to escort Indian aircraft threatened mid-flight, underscoring the escalating severity of these threats.
Sources By Agencies