Aviation Safety Body's Assurance Amid Spree Of Hoax Bomb Threats: 'Fly Without Any Fear'

Amid a series of hoax bomb threats targeting Indian airlines, officials from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) met with airline representatives at the agency's headquarters in Delhi on Saturday, according to ANI.

During the meeting, the airline representatives raised concerns about the impact these threats are having, particularly in light of the busy festive season, which could lead to congestion at airports.

Photo Credit: PTI

They discussed these issues with BCAS Director General Zulfiqar Hasan.

Hasan emphasised the importance of adhering strictly to safety and security guidelines. BCAS officials reassured airline representatives that they are collaborating with the relevant agencies to identify the root cause of the problem.

Following the meeting, Hasan told ANI that the safety protocols in place to handle such threats are robust, assuring passengers that there is no need to fear when flying.

"Indian skies are absolutely safe. The current protocol (to deal with the situation) is robust and is being strictly followed," Hasan told the news agency. "We reassure passengers that they should fly without any fear and, in fact, fly even more."

Around 70 flights received bomb threats

In recent days, nearly 70 flights operated by Indian carriers have been subject to hoax bomb threats. This has led to the diversion of many flights, while others were forced to re-screen all passengers, causing huge inconvenience and delays.

These hoax threats have also had major financial consequences, with airline officials estimating losses in the crores of rupees.

Earlier this week, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu stated that law enforcement agencies are actively investigating the bomb threat cases, and the government is closely monitoring the situation.

Additionally, the Union government is considering increasing the deployment of air marshals on flights, while investigative agencies explore whether there is a "pattern" to the warnings.