Six more flights of Indian carriers receive bomb threats; 19 threats in three days.
While most bomb threats are ultimately false, the security checks—often taking several hours—can lead to disruptions such as delays and, in some instances, the rescheduling of subsequent flights, impacting airlines financially.
Bomb threats targeting Indian airlines persisted on Wednesday, affecting at least six flights—three from IndiGo, two from SpiceJet, and one from Akasa Air—bringing the total number of bomb threat incidents involving Indian carriers to 19 over the past three days.
On Monday, three international flights—one operated by Air India and two by IndiGo—received bomb threats, followed by another ten threats across major carriers on Tuesday. All threats reported on Monday and Tuesday originated from social media and were ultimately deemed false.
In response, relevant government ministries, including the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), have convened to address these bomb threats. MoCA is collaborating with the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) to formalize a proposal to place perpetrators of hoax bomb threats on a no-fly list. Security agencies and local police are actively investigating these threats to identify and apprehend those responsible. Reports indicate that security measures have been heightened, and emergency response teams are on standby at various airports across India.
The Wednesday threats included Akasa Air’s Delhi-Bengaluru flight, two SpiceJet flights, and three IndiGo flights—Riyadh-Mumbai, Mumbai-Singapore, and Chennai-Lucknow. The Akasa Air flight returned to Delhi, while IndiGo’s Riyadh-Mumbai flight was diverted to Muscat. The other two IndiGo flights continued to their destinations, where passengers, baggage, and the aircraft underwent mandatory security checks.
The Akasa Air flight (QP 1335) departed Delhi at 12:16 PM and declared a general emergency less than an hour into the flight, according to tracking data. It landed back in Delhi around 2 PM. Akasa Air confirmed that the captain followed all emergency protocols, landing safely at Indira Gandhi International Airport at 1:48 PM. The airline added that upon landing, the aircraft was moved to an isolation area, and passengers disembarked at 1:57 PM in coordination with local authorities for security checks. An Akasa Air spokesperson noted that the flight carried 174 passengers, three infants, and seven crew members and that emergency response teams were monitoring the situation.
IndiGo reported that flight 6E 74, traveling from Riyadh to Mumbai, was redirected to Muscat due to a security alert. Passengers were safely disembarked, and the airline emphasized its commitment to safety and compliance with standard procedures. Similar protocols were followed for the Mumbai-Singapore and Chennai-Lucknow flights, with both aircraft isolated upon landing. SpiceJet also ensured the safe disembarkation of passengers from both affected flights, which included SG 116 (Darbhanga-Mumbai) and SG 124 (Leh-Delhi), before being cleared for further operations.
While most bomb threats are ultimately found to be hoaxes, airlines and aviation authorities take them very seriously. The necessary security checks can lead to significant delays and operational disruptions, impacting airlines financially.
When a bomb threat occurs, detailed security protocols are enacted, often involving diverting the aircraft to the nearest suitable airport and moving it to an isolated area. Passengers are quickly evacuated, and thorough inspections of both the aircraft and their luggage are conducted before any resumption of flights.
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