In a concerning series of events, 19 flights have reported bomb threats over the last three days, with multiple incidents occurring within a 24-hour period. The alarming trend has prompted security protocols and diversions across several airlines, including IndiGo and Air India Express.
One of the flights affected was an IndiGo service bound for Riyadh, which was diverted to Muscat due to a bomb threat. An airline spokesperson confirmed, “The aircraft has been isolated, and all passengers have been safely disembarked.” The wave of threats, primarily communicated through social media, has been identified as hoaxes, according to officials.
In another incident, IndiGo flight 6E 1011, flying from Mumbai to Singapore, received a security alert, leading it to land safely in Singapore. Similarly, flight 6E 515, traveling from Chennai to Lucknow, was also subject to a security alert upon landing, after which it was placed in an isolated bay for safety checks.
Late on Tuesday, a Mumbai-bound IndiGo flight originating from Delhi was diverted to Ahmedabad following a bomb threat. Meanwhile, an Akasa Air flight from Delhi to Bengaluru returned to Delhi after receiving a similar threat, carrying 174 passengers, three infants, and seven crew members.
SpiceJet also faced threats on two of its flights — one from Leh to Delhi and another from Darbangha to Mumbai. According to a spokesperson, both aircraft safely disembarked their passengers before being cleared for further operations.
Furthermore, a Vistara flight UK 161 from Delhi to Hong Kong received a threat on October 15 but landed safely, undergoing mandatory security checks before being cleared for operations. Additionally, an Air India Express flight IX 437 from Kochi to Dubai was reported to have received a bomb threat but also landed safely at its destination.
The situation raised alarms at the government level, with the issue of multiple hoax threats discussed during a parliamentary committee meeting. Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam confirmed that investigators are actively gathering information and taking necessary actions regarding these threats. However, he did not disclose further details due to the sensitivity of the ongoing investigations.
This uptick in bomb threats comes in conjunction with a similar incident where nine flights were targeted on Tuesday alone. Notably, Air India’s AI 127 flight from Delhi to Chicago was diverted to an airport in Canada, with passengers later ferried to Chicago by a Canadian Air Force plane.
The Singapore Armed Forces also scrambled two fighter jets to escort an Air India Express flight IX 684 from Madurai to Singapore after it received a bomb threat. This aircraft successfully landed at Singapore’s Changi airport, ensuring the safety of all on board.
With the rising number of bomb threats, airlines are under increasing pressure to bolster security measures and ensure passenger safety amid fears of potential threats.
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