Day After Airline CEOs' Meeting With Aviation Safety Body, Around 20 Flights Get Bomb Threats

Over 20 flights operated by Vistara, IndiGo, Air India, and Akasa airlines received fresh bomb threats via social media on Sunday, 20 October, prompting emergency checks across several airports, according to officials.

As per news agency PTI, six flights each from IndiGo, Vistara, Akasa Air, and Air India were targeted with the threats.

Photo Credit: PTI

The six Vistara flights that received threats include UK25 (Delhi to Frankfurt), UK106 (Singapore to Mumbai), UK146 (Bali to Delhi), UK116 (Singapore to Delhi), UK110 (Singapore to Pune), and UK107 (Mumbai to Singapore).

"We confirm receiving security threats on social media for six Vistara flights operating on 20 October 2024," stated the airline in an official release, pointing to a worrying surge in bomb scares within the aviation industry.

"In accordance with protocols, all relevant authorities were immediately informed, and security procedures, as instructed by them, are being followed. As always, the safety and security of our passengers, crew, and aircraft remain our top priority," said a Vistara spokesperson.

This incident follows a meeting on Saturday between the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and airline CEOs after multiple flights received at least 70 hoax bomb threats over the past week.

More than 30 flights from major airlines such as IndiGo, Akasa Air, Star Air, and Alliance Air were targeted on Saturday alone. Airline executives were reminded to adhere to the standard operating procedures for handling such threats.

Akasa, IndiGo Flights Affected

Earlier today, six flights operated by Akasa Air received bomb threats, leading to security checks.

The affected Akasa Air flights were QP 1102 (Ahmedabad to Mumbai), QP 1378 (Delhi to Goa), QP 1385 (Mumbai to Bagdogra), QP 1406 (Delhi to Hyderabad), QP 1519 (Kochi to Mumbai), and QP 1526 (Lucknow to Mumbai).

The airline issued a statement, confirming that it followed all safety and security procedures in coordination with local authorities.

"The Akasa Air Emergency Response team was immediately activated and initiated all standard procedures, including notifying regulatory authorities and closely monitoring the situation in real-time. Captains and crew members of the affected flights followed the required emergency protocols and safety procedures, working with local authorities," the airline said.

IndiGo authorities confirmed that six of their flights were disrupted by bomb threats today, resulting in security checks.

The IndiGo flights affected were 6E 58 (Jeddah to Mumbai), 6E 87 (Kozhikode to Dammam), 6E 11 (Delhi to Istanbul), 6E 17 (Mumbai to Istanbul), 6E 133 (Pune to Jodhpur), and 6E 112 (Goa to Ahmedabad).

"The safety and security of our passengers and crew is our highest priority. We are working closely with the relevant authorities and taking all necessary precautions in accordance with the guidelines," the airline stated.

Bomb Threat at Karnataka's Sambra Airport

The series of bomb scares against Indian aviation continued on Sunday as Karnataka's Sambra Airport in Belagavi received a bomb threat via email, an official familiar with the matter confirmed.

The director of Sambra Airport, Thyagaraj, received an email from an unidentified individual threatening to blow up a Chennai-Belagavi flight, causing alarm in the area.

An FIR has been filed at the Marihal Police Station in Belagavi, and a probe is underway to trace the source of the bomb threat.