The recent surge of bomb threats targeting Indian airlines, with 12 incidents reported in the past 48 hours, was a major topic of discussion during a meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu and senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) participated in the meeting.
Aviation officials informed MPs that “critical leads” had been identified, and initial suspects were under investigation.
Bomb Threats Impact Multiple Flights
On Tuesday, an Air India flight from Delhi to Chicago was diverted to a remote airport in Canada following a bomb threat, prompting the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security to launch an investigation. Several other flights were also affected by bomb threats, including:
- An IndiGo flight from Saudi Arabia to Lucknow, which made an emergency landing in Jaipur.
- An Air India Xpress flight from Jaipur to Ayodhya, which was grounded.
- Two Akasa Air flights and an Alliance Air service were impacted.
On Wednesday afternoon, another IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Delhi was diverted to Ahmedabad, while an Akasa Air flight from Delhi to Bengaluru returned to its origin after receiving threats.
Social Media Handle Behind Multiple Hoaxes
A number of threats were traced to a single X (formerly Twitter) account, which has become the focus of investigations. Authorities are working to determine the credibility of the threats and ensure the safety of passengers and crew.
The committee also discussed issues related to ticket prices and the government’s UDAN scheme for regional air connectivity. Members raised concerns about discrepancies in ticket prices across airlines, especially for similar routes, and noted an “unusual surge” in prices. These issues will be addressed in more detail in future sessions.
