In a concerning wave of bomb threats, more than ten flights operated by Indian carriers have been targeted in the last 24 hours, prompting extensive security checks and several diversions. IndiGo and Akasa Airlines were notably affected, with five flights each receiving threats. Additionally, three Vistara aircraft and one Air India Express flight were also involved in the unsettling incidents.
Early Saturday morning, three international Vistara flights received bomb threats, all of which were ultimately determined to be hoaxes following rigorous security protocols. One such flight, from Delhi to London, was diverted to Frankfurt for security checks. The flight resumed its journey only after authorities confirmed that no threats were present. Similarly, two other Vistara flights?one en route to Paris and the other to Hong Kong?landed safely at their respective destinations. The UK21 flight from Delhi to Paris was taken to an isolation bay at Charles de Gaulle Airport for precautionary checks, while UK161 to Hong Kong underwent security procedures upon arrival at Hong Kong International Airport.
An Air India Express flight traveling from Dubai to Jaipur, carrying 189 passengers, was also targeted by a bomb threat received via email. Officials confirmed that a thorough examination was conducted at Jaipur airport, where no suspicious items were found.
Among the affected IndiGo flights were 6E 17 from Mumbai to Istanbul, 6E 11 from Delhi to Istanbul, and 6E 184 from Jodhpur to Delhi. Akasa Air's QP 1366 flight from Bengaluru to Mumbai also faced a security alert shortly before its scheduled departure.
This surge in bomb threats follows a series of approximately 70 hoax calls made to various airlines in the past week, all of which have turned out to be false alarms. Investigating agencies have noted that many of these threats contain common phrases such as "bombs," "blood will spread everywhere," "explosive devices," "this is not a joke," and "you will all die," along with the Hindi phrase "bomb rakhwa dia hai" (bomb has been placed).
In connection with the threats made to three flights from Mumbai on October 14, the Mumbai Police detained a 17-year-old boy from Chhattisgarh. Authorities are also investigating several IP addresses linked to these threats, some of which trace back to foreign locations, including London. To enhance their investigation, police teams have reached out to Virtual Private Network (VPN) service providers and social media platforms, as VPNs complicate the tracking of physical locations due to their ability to mask IP addresses.
The ongoing investigation aims to ensure the safety and security of passengers while holding accountable those responsible for these alarming threats.
