Aviation Safety Body Holds Crisis Meet With Airline CEOs Amid Bomb Threat Spree On Flights

With Indian airlines receiving an unprecedented 70 bomb threats in six days, officials from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) met with the chief executive officers (CEOs) of the airlines in New Delhi on Saturday.

During the meeting, held at the civil aviation ministry's office in Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, the CEOs were instructed to follow the standard operating procedure (SOP) for managing such threats, which have been causing major inconvenience to passengers and financial losses to the airlines.

Photo Credit: PTI

They were also advised to keep all relevant stakeholders informed about the threats and any actions being taken.

On Saturday alone, over 30 bomb threats were made against flights from various airlines. In the ongoing investigation, officials revealed that some of the IP (internet protocol) addresses linked to the threats originated from London, Germany, Canada, and the US.

However, they did not dismiss the possibility that virtual private networks (VPNs) may have been used to conceal the actual locations of those making the threats.

The BCAS, along with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), is expected to issue updated guidelines for airlines to manage bomb threats.

The recent surge of hoax calls and threats via social media began on Monday and has persisted daily since, leading to multiple flights being diverted or delayed.

On Saturday, Vistara reported that five of its international flights received security threats through social media, while at least four IndiGo flights were subjected to security alerts.

Other airlines affected by threats included Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, Star Air, and Alliance Air.

In a statement, Akasa Air said, "Some of our flights operating on October 19, 2024, have received security alerts today. As per safety and security procedures, all passengers had to be deplaned as the local authorities followed necessary procedures. We request your understanding as our team on the ground did everything possible to reduce the inconvenience."

No Conspiracy?

A 17-year-old boy was taken into custody by the Mumbai Police on Wednesday for issuing threats to four flights on Monday, including three on international routes. Officials indicated that the teenager was trying to frame a friend following a dispute over money.

Over a dozen FIRs have been lodged by the Mumbai Police and Delhi Police in connection with the threats.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said on Thursday that initial investigations do not indicate a conspiracy and that most of the calls were made by "minors and pranksters."

"We can't comment on a conspiracy but whatever little we have known, it (the threats) is coming from minors or some pranksters. For very little, petty things, they are trying to issue threats on social media or through phone calls. So these are isolated incidents, there is no kind of conspiracy we can comment on," he said.

Naidu further stated that steps are being taken to ensure a "strict barrier is created for people trying to do these kinds of pranks" and that the civil aviation ministry had convened meetings with airlines and security agencies.