A surge in hoax bomb threats against Indian airlines has triggered widespread chaos in international travel, with planes being grounded, diverted, or even escorted by fighter jets. Over the past week, there have been 90 such threats, severely disrupting India’s aviation industry and unsettling air passengers.
On Saturday (October 19) alone, 30 hoax threats were reported, followed by 20 more on Sunday (October 20). Major Indian carriers like Air India, Vistara, SpiceJet, and IndiGo were primarily targeted, but international airlines including American Airlines, JetBlue, and Air New Zealand were also affected, leading to diversions.
The impact has been significant. Under aviation regulations, every threat must be treated seriously, forcing airlines to reroute flights and make emergency landings in third countries like Turkey and Germany. In one instance, Afghanistan denied a Vistara flight permission to land on Sunday (October 20), leading to its return to India, reported the Guardian.
Air forces to the rescue
Only five days earlier, on October 15, Singapore scrambled two F-15 fighter jets to escort an Air India Express flight after it received a bomb threat via email. The plane landed safely at Changi Airport, where no explosives were found.
That same day, an Air India Boeing 777 flying from Delhi to Chicago was diverted to Iqaluit, Canada, following a bomb threat. Passengers were stranded for three days before being flown to Chicago by the Canadian Air Force.
Other hoaxes over the past week include bomb threats targeting Air India Express and IndiGo flights to destinations like Bengaluru, Jeddah, and Muscat.
India’s Civil Aviation Minister, K Ram Mohan Naidu, called the surge in threats a “matter of grave concern” and vowed that those responsible would be prosecuted.
The number of bomb threats in recent weeks has surpassed anything India’s aviation industry has previously experienced. Between 2014 and 2017, Indian flights received around 120 bomb threats.
India’s booming aviation sector
The threats come at a time when India’s aviation sector is booming, having carried 152 million passengers domestically in 2023.
India’s fast-growing aviation market handles over 3,000 flights daily across more than 150 airports. Airlines in India set a new record on October 14, carrying 484,263 passengers on a single day.
India has just under 700 commercial passenger planes in service and an order backlog of more than 1,700 planes, making it the fastest-growing commercial aircraft market today, reports the BBC, quoting an aviation industry analyst.
However, passengers have been left frustrated by the threats and disruptions they cause while airlines face enormous financial losses.
The rise of anonymous threats on social media has complicated efforts to track the perpetrators. Experts believe the threats are intended to disrupt the aviation industry and create widespread panic. In response, Indian authorities are considering new laws that would impose up to five years in prison for those involved in hoax bomb threats.
Indian law enforces life imprisonment for acts threatening airport safety. However, the authorities see the need for new laws against hoax threats.
Last week, Indian authorities arrested a 17-year-old school dropout for creating a social media account to issue hoax threats. His motivations remain unclear, but he is believed to have targeted four flights – three international – resulting in two delays, one diversion and one cancellation.