7 flights to and fro Kolkata receive bomb threats; over 410 cases in 15 days

Agencies, 29 Oct 2024, Kolkata: At least seven flights of India-based carriers to and fro Kolkata received bomb threat messages through social media posts on Monday, officials at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport here said. 

The threats, however, turned out to be a hoax and flights were operated. "It was learnt around 2.45 pm that messages were posted on X handle 'I wanna slit your throat' that bombs were planted inside seven flights related to the Kolkata airport," the Director of NSCBI airport, Dr Pravat Ranjan Beuria, said. 

Of the seven, five were of Indigo and two were of Vistara, he said. The posts mentioned the certain number of flights of both airlines, in which bombs had allegedly been placed. 

Beuria said that all officials concerned were informed and duty personnel were alerted. The Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) held a meeting after which the threats were declared "non-specific", said Beuria, who is also the Chairman of the panel. In view of the bomb threats, the BTAC decided to follow the SOP to thwart any untoward incident. 

The BTAC committee also instructed all to follow guidelines to avoid panic situations in Bomb threats, he said. In 15 days, over 410 domestic and international flights operated by the Indian carriers have received hoax bomb threats. 

Against this backdrop, the IT Ministry has asked social media platforms to observe due diligence obligations and promptly remove or disable access to misinformation within the strict timelines prescribed under IT rules. 

The civil aviation ministry is also looking to take action to tackle the menace of the hoax bomb threats to airlines. 

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