Bomb Threat Chaos: 10 Flights Targeted Across India in 48 Hours, Security on High Alert

Update: Two More Flights Targeted

• A bomb threat was reported on an Akasa Air flight (QP 1335) to Bengaluru, carrying 177 passengers, including three infants. The flight returned safely to Delhi.
• An IndiGo flight (6E 651) from Mumbai to Delhi was also diverted to Ahmedabad, where passengers were safely evacuated.

Previous Incidents and Investigations

• Twelve flights, including international and domestic, received threats within three days.
• Authorities are investigating and monitoring the dark web; some suspects have been identified.

Parliament Action

• A Parliamentary Standing Committee and Civil Aviation officials met to discuss the recurring threats.

Surge in Bomb Threats: 10 Indian Flights Hacked

There's been a spate of bomb threats to ten Indian flights, both domestic and international, over the last two days. The most prominent one was an Air India aircraft with 211 passengers that took off from Delhi to Chicago. There was a threat via social media which forced security agencies to start tough counter-terrorism protocols at all airports.
Social media threats on a rise

On Tuesday, seven bomb threats were posted on the X social media site; three were reported for international flights to leave from Mumbai yesterday. Authorities confirmed these later as hoax threats. Some of the targeted flights are as under:

• Air India Express IX765 (Jaipur-Bengaluru via Ayodhya)
• SpiceJet SG116 (Darbhanga-Mumbai)
• Akasa Air QP1373 (Bagdogra-Bengaluru)
• Air India AI127 (Delhi-Chicago)
• IndiGo 6E98 (Dammam to Lucknow)
• Alliance Air 9I650 (Amritsar-Dehradun)
• Air India Express IX684 (Madurai-Singapore)

Cybersecurity Response

PTI reported that Indian cybersecurity agencies have put the X account under suspension from which these bomb threats originated. In a reaction to the bomb threat on Air India Express flight IX684, Singapore deployed two F-15 jets to escort the aircraft. The flight is being safely guided to enter into Singapore Changi Airport around 10:04 PM for further investigations to take place.

#WATCH | “Air India Express, along with a few other operators, received a specific security threat from an unverified social media handle. In response, security protocols were promptly activated as directed by the Government-appointed Bomb Threat Assessment Committee. The flight… pic.twitter.com/ETTU5tRh1r— ANI (@ANI) October 15, 2024

Bomb Threat Updates

1. A SpiceJet flight landed safely at Mumbai Airport and was taken to a designated safe area where it was inspected.
2. An Akasa Air aircraft, which reportedly had its aircraft receiving a bomb threat, landed safely at Bengaluru Airport.
3. An Air India flight was diverted to Iqaluit Airport in Canada due to a security threat.
4. IndiGo Flight 6E98, that took off from Dammam to Lucknow had been diverted to Jaipur Airport.
5. Alliance Air has said it had taken all necessary safety measures before its Amritsar-Dehradun-Delhi flight, which is presently grounded at Dehradun Airport for inspection.
6. Air India Express flight from Madurai to Singapore has been kept at Singapore for clearance by the authorities there.

Four fake accounts sending messages threatening international flights scheduled to take off from Mumbai on Monday, police said. The BCAS will coordinate with Indian cybersecurity agencies as well as investigate the case with law-enforcement agencies to track down the culprits.

Mumbai Police Quiz Teenager Along with Dad, Another Man from Chhattisgarh

The Mumbai Police have summoned a teenager along with his father and another man from Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon for questioning in connection with the death threats reported on Monday. The menace had forced one of the Air India flights headed to New York to be diverted to Delhi, while two IndiGo flights were rescheduled. "No suspicious objects have been found on any of these flights," authorities clarified.

Moreover, bomb threats were sent to two IndiGo planes that were meant to fly to Muscat and Jeddah. Before the aircraft took off from the airport, the aircraft were moved to secluded places for proper security scanning.

Alarmingly, in India, the bomb threats have reached alarming levels, and the safety of air travel in the country is seriously being called into question. Where several flights are targeted and passengers faced extended delays and diversions, questions are raised over the effectiveness of the security systems in place. Alert action by the authorities is underway; however, the question is: what's next, and are the Indian air travel systems prepared to handle such reoccurring threats?

With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies

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