India is taking action to combat the growing issue of hoax bomb threat calls that are causing disruptions for airlines. The Indian government is in the process of implementing a new law to address this problem, aiming to punish those responsible for spreading false bomb threats that lead to significant disruptions in flight schedules and inconvenience for thousands of passengers.
According to reports from the Press Trust of India news agency, within a span of less than two weeks, over 120 flights operated by Indian carriers have been targeted by hoax bomb threats. Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan has announced that the government is looking to introduce legislation that would establish a no-fly list for offenders and amend the 1982 Civil Aviation Act to enable the arrest and investigation of perpetrators without requiring a court order.
IndiGo, a prominent private Indian airline, revealed that nine of its flights bound for Jeddah and Dammam in Saudi Arabia, as well as some flights from Turkey, were subjected to hoax bomb threat calls, resulting in these flights being diverted to the nearest airports for security assessments. Despite efforts to track down the culprits, the hoaxers have largely managed to evade identification.
In a recent incident, the Mumbai police detained a 17-year-old boy from eastern Chhattisgarh state for allegedly posting bomb threat messages on the social media platforms of various airlines. The boy’s purported motive was to implicate another individual with whom he had a business dispute.
The seriousness of these hoax bomb threats cannot be understated, as highlighted by Minister Rammohan. The Press Trust of India disclosed that on a single night, 30 domestic and international flights operated by Indian airlines, including IndiGo, Vistara, and Air India, received similar threats.
The proposed legislation and increased vigilance on the part of airlines are steps towards safeguarding the aviation sector in India from the disruptive impacts of hoax bomb threats. The government’s swift response to these incidents underscores the commitment to ensuring the safety and security of air travel for all passengers.