Unprecedented number of bomb threats, Indian aviation “chaos”.Dozens of flights were diverted and fighter jets were scrambled to escort planes as the Indian aviation industry was thrown into “crisis” by bomb threats.
The Guardian reported on October 21 that over the past week, Indian and foreign airlines (operating in India) have received more than 90 bomb threats. This situation has caused chaos as authorities ordered planes to land, turn around, divert or be escorted to safety by fighter jets.
On October 19 alone, many airlines in India received at least 50 bomb threats on board their planes. Meanwhile, Indian authorities have yet to find out the source and motive of the threats, which are believed to be fake.
According to the Guardian, most of the threats were sent to airline emails or posted on anonymous social media accounts. Major Indian airlines such as Air India, Vistara, SpiceJet and IndiGo were the main targets. Some foreign airlines operating in India such as American Airlines, Jet Blue and Air New Zealand have also received bomb threats.
The impact on India’s aviation industry is huge.
Airline safety regulations require airlines to act quickly on any threat, regardless of whether it is later determined to be real or fake.
On October 20, Afghanistan refused permission for an Indian Vistara plane to make an emergency landing (after it received a bomb threat). As a result, the plane had to return to India.
Last week, an Air India Boeing 777 from Delhi to Chicago was diverted to the remote Canadian town of Iqaluit due to a bomb threat. The 200 passengers on board had to stay in Iqaluit for three days before being flown to Chicago by the Canadian Air Force.
In incidents in the UK and Singapore last week, fighter jets were scrambled to escort Indian passenger planes to safety. These planes had also been subject to bomb threats.
The turmoil of the past week is unprecedented for the Indian aviation industry. Between 2014 and 2017, Indian authorities recorded 120 bomb threats against aircraft.
On October 16, Indian Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu said that the police had arrested a suspect for allegedly threatening to blow up a passenger plane.
The suspect was identified as a 17-year-old boy from Rajnandgaon, India, who is very proficient in information technology skills.
However, the bomb threats against aircraft in India have not stopped.
Kinjarapu warned that perpetrators issuing bomb threats will be dealt with “appropriately” under the law.
