Chaos In The Skies: 6 Indian Planes Squawk 7700 Amid Surge Of Hoax Bomb Threats

In a shocking escalation, six aircraft from three Indian airlines squawked the emergency code 7700 within the last 30 minutes on Tuesday, marking yet another distressing episode for India's aviation sector. This month alone, Indian airlines have been bombarded by a significant number of hoax bomb threats, resulting in widespread panic and disruptions across international travel.

A recent high-profile incident occurred just a week ago, when an Air India (AI) Boeing 777, operating flight AI129 from Mumbai to London Heathrow, declared an emergency due to a bomb threat. The aircraft squawked 7700 while circling East England, just an hour before its scheduled landing at Heathrow Airport. Fortunately, the threat was later identified as a hoax, but not before causing significant anxiety among passengers and crew.

The scale of this issue has grown to alarming proportions, with a reported 90 hoax bomb threats made against Indian airlines in the past week alone. This wave of threats has led to major disruptions, grounding planes, rerouting flights, and even necessitating fighter jet escorts for safety measures.

The chaos is impacting both domestic and international flights, with major airlines like Air India, Vistara, SpiceJet and IndiGo being the primary targets. International carriers, including American Airlines and Air New Zealand, have also been affected.

On Saturday alone, 30 bomb threats were reported, followed by 20 more on Sunday. The consequences of these threats have been severe. Flights have been diverted to countries like Turkey and Germany, and in some cases, forced to return to India.

On Sunday, a Vistara flight headed to Frankfurt was forced to turn back to India after Afghanistan denied permission for an emergency landing following a bomb threat.

The authorities are scrambling to identify the source of these threats, most of which are being delivered via anonymous emails or social media posts on platforms like X. Despite extensive investigations, the origin and motive behind this surge remain unknown.

The continuous barrage of fake threats is taking a heavy toll on the aviation industry, causing delays, logistical nightmares and a growing sense of unease among passengers.