New Delhi/Mumbai: More than 30 flights operated by Indian airlines, including Vistara, Air India, and IndiGo, received bomb threats on Saturday, causing major disruptions across domestic and international routes. Sources indicate that flights of several carriers—Vistara, IndiGo, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, Star Air, and Alliance Air—were targeted, marking a troubling escalation in such incidents this week.
This latest wave brings the total to at least 70 bomb threats received by Indian airlines over the past week. Fortunately, most of these threats have been identified as hoaxes.
Multiple International Routes Affected
Vistara confirmed receiving threats on five international flights, including:
- UK106 (Singapore to Mumbai)
- UK027 (Mumbai to Frankfurt)
- UK107 (Mumbai to Singapore)
- UK121 (Delhi to Bangkok)
- UK131 (Mumbai to Colombo)
In a separate incident, a bomb threat was issued to Vistara flight UK624 (Udaipur to Mumbai), prompting security officials to move the aircraft to an isolation bay for mandatory checks upon landing. A note allegedly found in the aircraft lavatory indicated a bomb on board.
IndiGo Flights Under Threat
IndiGo reported receiving bomb threats on four of its flights:
- 6E17 (Mumbai to Istanbul)
- 6E11 (Delhi to Istanbul)
- 6E184 (Jodhpur to Delhi)
- 6E108 (Hyderabad to Chandigarh)
After landing in Delhi and Chandigarh, affected aircraft were taken to isolation bays, and passengers were safely disembarked as authorities conducted thorough inspections.
Precautionary Measures and Government Action
Earlier on Friday, Vistara faced a similar scare on three international flights, including one that had to divert to Frankfurt as a precaution. Although no explosives have been found so far, these repeated threats have heightened security concerns.
The Civil Aviation Ministry is reportedly drafting stricter norms to curb such hoaxes, with potential measures including adding offenders to the no-fly list.
Impact on Aviation and Security Protocols
The surge in bomb threats has disrupted both domestic and international operations, with airlines and airport authorities forced to enact emergency security protocols. Experts fear that continued hoaxes could overburden security systems, causing inconvenience to passengers and financial losses to carriers.
