As many as 30 domestic and international flights operated by Indian airlines have received bomb threats from Monday night till Tuesday afternoon, according to aviation sources.
The major Indian airline companies, including Indigo, Vistara, and Air India, received bomb threats for their international and domestic flights on Monday night.
Vistara Airlines confirmed receiving security threats via social media and following protocol after that.
“We confirm that a few of Vistara’s flights operating on 21 October 2024 received security threats on social media. We immediately alerted the relevant authorities and are following all security procedures as directed by them. At Vistara, the safety and security of our customers, crew, and aircraft are of utmost importance,” the Vistara spokesperson said.
Air India also confirmed that some of its flights were subject to hoax security alerts on Monday.
“We confirm that some Air India flights were subject to hoax security alerts received on social media on 21 October 2024. Following the laid down protocols, relevant authorities were immediately alerted, and all security procedures strictly adhered to, as per guidance from the regulatory authorities and security agencies. All the flights have landed safely. The safety and security of our passengers, crew, and aircraft remain our top priority,” an Air India official said.
Indigo also informed that they were working closely with the relevant authorities and that standard operating procedures were being followed.
Indigo, in its press release, announced that they received a security-related alert on nearly 10 flights, including domestic and international. The flights that received the bomb threats are 6E 164 (domestic), 6E 75 (international), 6E 118 (domestic), 6E 67 (international), 6E 18 (international), 6E 83 (international), 6E 77 (international), 6E 12 (international), 6E 65 (international), and 6E 63 (international).
It must be noted that most of these international flights were bound for Jeddah in Saudi Arabia or bound for India from Istanbul in Turkey.
Earlier on Monday, Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the ministry has ordered additional checks at the airports for the safety of passengers without causing any more inconvenience to them.
He said that a private network had been used to post the bomb threats on social media, and agencies under the supervision of the Ministry of Home Affairs are working to identify the persons behind them. The minister also stated that the perpetrators would be placed on a no-fly list.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) is continuously in touch with the Ministry of Home Affairs regarding the situation of bomb threats to flights.
(With ANI Inputs)
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