Hoax bomb threats: At least 50 flights, hotels in Tirupati and Lucknow receive warnings

Airlines in India have faced an alarming wave of bomb threats, with more than 350 flights receiving false threats in the last two weeks. On Sunday, October 27, 2024 alone, at least 50 flights operated by Indian airlines received bomb threats, two of which were diverted as a precaution.

The increasing number of such incidents has raised significant concerns within the aviation industry, prompting authorities to intensify efforts to safeguard passengers and flight operations. Most of these threats have been communicated through social media platforms.

Akasa Air and IndiGo receive bomb threats on Sunday

Akasa Air, one of India’s new players in the aviation sector, reported that 15 of its flights received bomb threats on Sunday. The airline confirmed that after thorough inspections, all aircraft were cleared to resume normal operations.

Meanwhile, IndiGo, India’s largest airline, faced bomb threats on 18 of its flights, and two were diverted for emergency checks. Flight 6E 133 from Pune to Jodhpur was diverted to Ahmedabad, while flight 6E 87 from Kozhikode to Dammam was redirected to Mumbai. Vistara, another leading airline, received threats on 17 flights.

IndiGo flights that received threats:

6E 11 – Delhi to Istanbul
6E 92 – Jeddah to Bombay
6E 112 – Goa to Ahmedabad
6E 125 – Bangalore to Jharsuguda
6E 127 – Amritsar to Ahmedabad
6E 135 – Kolkata to Pune
6E 149 – Hyderabad to Bagdogra
6E 173 – Delhi to Bengaluru
6E 175 – Bengaluru to Delhi
6E 197 – Raipur to Hyderabad

6E 248 – Bombay to Calcutta
6E 277 – Ahmedabad to Lucknow
6E 312 – Bangalore to Kolkata
6E 235 – Kolkata to Bangalore
6E 74 – Riyadh to Bombay

Government response and amendments to the law

Union Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu on Sunday announced that the central government is considering stricter measures to curb these fake bomb threats, including banning their perpetrators from flying. He also revealed that the government is exploring amendments to two civil aviation laws to address the growing problem more effectively.

“We are also collaborating with international agencies, law enforcement agencies and the Intelligence Bureau to prevent these threats from further disrupting operations,” the minister said.

Additionally, the Ministry of Information Technology has urged social media platforms to ensure prompt removal of misinformation, especially threats, within the timelines prescribed by IT norms.

Hotels in Tirupati and Lucknow receive similar threats

Beyond airlines, bomb threats have also targeted hotels. In Tirupati, around half a dozen hotels have received bomb threats via email over the past three days. Police responded quickly by evacuating the hotels and conducting extensive searches, all of which proved the threats were false.

“We reacted quickly when we received complaints and our teams carried out thorough checks. But (the fake email threats) turned out to be false. We are registering cases and investigations are underway in this regard,” Superintendent L Subbarayudu told reporters. of Tirupati police. Press Trust of India (PTI) agency on Sunday.

In Lucknow, at least 10 hotels received bomb threats demanding a ransom of $55,000. The email claimed that the bombs were hidden in black bags and would detonate if the ransom was not paid. Local authorities are investigating the threats with the help of the cyber crime wing.

“The bombs are hidden in black bags on the grounds of your hotel. I want $55,000, or I will detonate the explosives and blood will spill everywhere. Any attempt to defuse the bombs will detonate them,” PTI quoted him in a threatening email. .

Brajesh Kumar, manager of one of the hotels, told PTI Videos: “We received the threat mail in the morning. As a precaution, we reported the matter to the local police station and a team has come to investigate the matter.” “We already have systems to scan all guests and their luggage. Even then, as a precautionary measure, we helped the police scan the hotel,” he added.