Over 30 flights receive bomb threats BCAS holds meeting with airlines

More than 30 flights operated by Indian airlines received bomb threats on 20 October, Saturday, sending security agencies into a tizzy and causing hardships to hundreds of passengers as well as staff at airports. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) held a meeting with CEOs and representatives of airlines in Delhi.

Sources in the know said on Saturday, the flights of Air India, Vistara, IndiGo, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, Star Air, and Alliance Air received bomb threats. So far this week, more than 70 domestic and international flights of Indian airlines have received bomb threats, with all of them turning out to be hoaxes.

As many as six flights of Vistara, five each of IndiGo and Akasa Air received security threats, according to the airlines.

The sources said more than 30 flights received bomb threats mostly through social media since Saturday morning. On at least one of the flights, a note was also found in the lavatory saying there was a bomb in the flight.

The five flights of Vistara that received threats are UK106 (Singapore to Mumbai), UK027 (Mumbai to Frankfurt), UK107 (Mumbai to Singapore), UK121 (Delhi to Bangkok) and UK131 (Mumbai to Colombo).

"Following protocol, all relevant authorities were promptly alerted and all security procedures are being adhered to, as per the guidance from the authorities and security agencies," an airline spokesperson said in a statement.

Besides, there was a security concern regarding Vistara flight UK624 from Udaipur to Mumbai, and after landing, the aircraft was taken to an isolation bay for mandatory checks. A note was found in the lavatory of the aircraft saying there is a bomb in the flight, a source in the know said.

Also, the airline's flight UK027 from Mumbai to Frankfurt had a security concern and the flight landed safely at Frankfurt airport. In the morning, the flight had received a bomb threat through social media.

Akasa Air received security threats for five flights — QP 1323 (Bengaluru to Guwahati), QP 1371 (Goa to Mumbai), QP 1373 (Bagdogra to Bengaluru), QP 1385 (Mumbai to Bagdogra), and QP 1405 (Hyderabad to Delhi).

"Following defined procedures and after thorough inspections of all five aircraft, they have been released," an airline spokesperson said.

IndiGo issued statements for five flights regarding threats received. They are 6E17 (Mumbai to Istanbul), 6E11 (Delhi to Istanbul), 6E184 (Jodhpur to Delhi), 6E108 (Hyderabad to Chandigarh), and 6E58 (Jeddah to Mumbai). Regarding the two flights to Istanbul, the airline said the passengers disembarked safely.

The Jodhpur-Delhi flight, the carrier said, landed in the national capital and customers have disembarked the aircraft. About the Hyderabad-Chandigarh flight, and Jeddah-Mumbai flight, IndiGo said upon landing, the aircraft were isolated and all passengers were safely disembarked.

Among others, an Alliance Air flight from Kochi to Bengaluru received a bomb threat.

With a significant number of flights receiving threats, passengers as well as staff at some of the airports faced a tough time since the planes concerned were moved to isolation bays and security protocol had to be followed. The handle on X, through which some of the bomb threats to flights were issued, has been deactivated.

Meanwhile, the civil aviation ministry plans to put in place strict norms to prevent incidents of hoax bomb threats to airlines, including placing the perpetrators in the no-fly list.