A 17-year-old boy from Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, has been taken into custody by Mumbai Police after issuing a series of bomb threats targeting various airlines since Monday. The hoax threats have led to multiple flight diversions and disruptions, including one Air India flight being diverted to a remote airport in Canada.
According to the police, the teenager, a school dropout, allegedly issued the threats to frame a friend with whom he had a financial dispute. The boy created a social media handle on X (formerly Twitter) in the friend’s name and began posting bomb threats from it, intending to get his friend into trouble.
So far, 19 bomb threats have been reported, with at least seven flights impacted on Tuesday alone. These include Air India flight AI 127 from Delhi to Chicago, which was diverted to Iqaluit airport in Canada, and IndiGo flight 6E 98 from Dammam, Saudi Arabia, to Lucknow, which made an emergency landing in Jaipur.
Police have registered three FIRs, with the minor currently in custody in connection with the first FIR related to Monday’s threats. His father is being questioned, but no charges have been filed against him yet.
Impact of the Hoax Threats
The threats issued by the boy have caused widespread disruptions in air travel over the past few days. On Monday, Air India flight AI 119 from Mumbai to New York was diverted to New Delhi, and other international flights were delayed or cancelled.
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By Tuesday, threats had affected multiple airlines, including Air India Express, Akasa Air, Alliance Air, and IndiGo, with several flights being diverted or forced to make emergency landings.
The hoax calls continued into Wednesday, impacting more flights, such as Akasa Air flight QP 1335 from New Delhi to Bengaluru, which had to return to the capital, and IndiGo flight 6E 651 from Mumbai to Delhi, which was diverted to Ahmedabad.
Ongoing Investigations
The Delhi Police has also registered FIRs in connection with the threats, and the issue was raised during a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport on Wednesday. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu held discussions with officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and aviation regulators to address the issue.
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Aviation officials have reported having “critical leads” and have identified several suspects related to the hoax.
While the hoax threats have not posed any real danger, they have had a significant financial impact on airlines, according to senior industry officials. Airlines must take every threat seriously, despite the disruptions caused to operations and the resulting costs.
