Bomb Threat Hoax Strikes Again: IndiGo and 32 Air India Flights Receive False Threats as Security Agencies Battle Surge in Aviation Scares

Hoax Bomb threat to Indian Airlines: An IndiGo flight arriving in Vizag from Chennai received false bomb threats on October 29. The flight landed safely in isolation bay, officials confirmed.

Agencies, & KalimNews, October 29, 2024, New Delhi: A fresh wave of bomb threat hoaxes rattled Indian airlines on Tuesday, with an IndiGo flight from Chennai to Visakhapatnam among those targeted. 

According to sources from news agency PTI, Indian airlines faced an unprecedented volume of bomb threats on Tuesday, October 29, impacting more than 100 flights. These threats targeted both domestic and international flights, adding to the growing tally of over 510 hoax threats received by airlines over the past 16 days. Each incident required prompt response from security agencies and airport authorities, although all threats were subsequently deemed false alarms.

Social media has been the primary medium for conveying these threats, with anonymous posts and messages creating widespread concern and operational disruptions. Air India reportedly received around 36 bomb threats on Tuesday alone, while IndiGo and Vistara each faced approximately 35 and 32 threats, respectively.

An Air India representative confirmed that they immediately alerted relevant security agencies and implemented comprehensive protocols for each threat. “All standard security procedures were rigorously followed according to regulatory guidelines to ensure passenger and crew safety,” the spokesperson said.

The spate of hoax threats has put security agencies on high alert, pushing for swift response mechanisms at airports across the country and intensifying efforts to track and neutralize the individuals behind these disruptive messages.

Indigo Flight 6E917, which departed Chennai at 5:33 pm, was met with heightened security protocols upon arrival in Visakhapatnam after an online bomb threat surfaced, referencing various flights operated by the airline. The plane landed safely in an isolation bay as authorities swiftly responded to the threat.

According to officials, IndiGo’s station manager was alerted to the threat by the airline’s regional security head, who reported a tweet from the handle "AdamLanza202" specifying Flight 6E917 and warning of explosive devices on board. However, after extensive inspection, the threat was confirmed as a hoax. In a similar incident, 32 Air India flights across various routes received anonymous bomb threats on the same day, as reported by India Today.

This hoax bomb alert follows a series of similar incidents. On Monday, social media messages warned of bombs on flights operated by seven Indian airlines, all departing to or from Kolkata. These messages, though false, resulted in considerable disruption, with security protocols causing delays. 

Two additional IndiGo flights arriving in Pune from Hyderabad and Jodhpur faced bomb threats, yet both planes landed without incident and were cleared after inspection. A notable incident on Sunday involved an Akasa Airlines flight from Bengaluru carrying 173 passengers; it was also the subject of a bomb scare. The plane was secured upon landing, and all passengers were safely disembarked as bomb squads inspected the aircraft.

The recent surge in hoax bomb threats has strained security forces. In just the past two weeks, over 400 fake bomb threat calls have targeted airlines, putting significant pressure on security agencies and raising concerns over passenger safety and national security. To ensure public safety, authorities continue to follow stringent protocols, which require each aircraft receiving a threat to be grounded and examined thoroughly, leading to operational disruptions across the aviation sector.

Mumbai police have been actively investigating the surge in threats, registering a new FIR on Tuesday after another threatening message was posted on X (formerly Twitter) by a user with the handle "@Mandaimassacre." The tweet, chillingly signed “I want to slit your throat,” alleged bombs on several flights and warned of potential casualties. Despite these threats turning out to be false after verification, the police have registered 14 FIRs in connection with aviation bomb threats this month alone.

The increased frequency of these hoaxes, especially through social media, has become a pressing concern for law enforcement. Cybersecurity experts and aviation security agencies are intensifying their efforts to trace and apprehend those responsible for such threats, which not only jeopardize passenger safety but also risk instigating panic and logistical chaos. As part of their strategy, security teams are collaborating with cyber-forensic teams to track digital footprints and prevent further disruption in India’s aviation network.

As investigations proceed, authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and responsible with social media use. Aviation experts also underscore the need for streamlined protocols to reduce the impact of hoaxes while maintaining high security standards to reassure passengers and ensure the smooth functioning of airline operations.