Indian airlines hit by hundreds of hoax bomb threats
November 29, 2024
Indian airlines faced nearly 1,000 hoax bomb threats in the year to 14 November, nearly ten times the total recorded in 2023.
According to the country’s deputy civil aviation minister, Murlidhar Mohol, the alarming rise in threats – up to 999 so far this year – has caused disruption to the country’s rapidly growing airline industry.
Revealing the figure in a parliamentary statement on Thursday, Mohol said: “The recent threats were hoaxes and no actual threat was detected at any of the airports/aircraft in India.”
The hoax threats have targeted both domestic and international flights and have been made via social media platforms. In one incident, Typhoons from RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire were deployed to intercept an Air India B777-300 in UK airspace. The aircraft landed safely at Heathrow Airport.
October saw an unprecedented spike, with over 500 hoax bomb threats reported in just the final two weeks of the month. Authorities have registered 256 police complaints related to the threats, leading to 12 arrests. Investigations into these incidents remain ongoing.
The surge in false alarms comes as India continues to expand its aviation sector, underlining the challenges posed by security threats in a fast growing market.
