10 Indian flights receive bomb threats in 48 hours; security tightened

Singapore scrambled two Singapore Air Force F-15 jets to escort Air India Express flight IX684. The flight landed safely at Changi Airport at 10:04 pm on Tuesday

In the past 48 hours, ten flights, including an Air India aircraft carrying 211 passengers from Delhi to Chicago, received bomb threats via social media, prompting security agencies to conduct specific counter-terrorism drills at various airports.

On Tuesday, seven bomb threats were received through social media platform X and three bomb threats were reported for international flights departing from Mumbai on Monday. These messages were sent on Monday and were later found to be hoaxes.
 

IndiGo flight 6E 56 operating from Mumbai to Jeddah received a bomb threat. As per protocol, the aircraft was taken to an isolated bay, and following the standard operating procedures, mandatory security checks were promptly initiated: Indigo Spokesperson https://t.co/okfUhrdQ63

— ANI (@ANI) October 14, 2024

The bomb threats were also made to flights, including Air India Express IX765 from Jaipur to Bengaluru via Ayodhya, SpiceJet SG116 Darbhanga to Mumbai, Akasa Air QP1373 Bagdogra to Bengaluru, Air India AI127 Delhi to Chicago, IndiGo 6E98 Dammam (Saudi Arabia) to Lucknow, Alliance Air 9I650 from Amritsar to Dehradun, and Air India Express IX684 from Madurai to Singapore.
 

 

#WATCH | “Air India Express, along with a few other operators, received a specific security threat from an unverified social media handle. In response, security protocols were promptly activated as directed by the Government-appointed Bomb Threat Assessment Committee. The flight… pic.twitter.com/ETTU5tRh1r

— ANI (@ANI) October 15, 2024

Cyber security agencies suspended the X account from which these bomb threats were made, as reported by news agency PTI.

Singapore scrambled two F-15 combat jets to escort Air India Express flight IX684 away from populated areas after it received a bomb threat. The flight landed safely at Singapore Changi Airport around 10.04 pm on Tuesday, with investigations currently underway.

Top updates: Flights receive bomb threats

1. A SpiceJet aircraft landed safely at the Mumbai Airport and was later directed to an isolation area for inspection.

2. An Akasa Air flight received a bomb threat, but landed safely at the Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru.

3. An Air India flight was redirected to Canada's Iqaluit Airport following an online security threat.

4. IndiGo Flight 6E98 from Dammam to Lucknow was diverted and landed at Jaipur Airport after receiving a bomb threat.

5. Alliance Air reported that all precautionary measures were being implemented for the Amritsar-Dehradun-Delhi flight, currently undergoing security checks at Dehradun Airport.

6. The Air India Express flight traveling from Madurai to Singapore was put on hold, awaiting landing clearance from Singaporean officials.

7. On Monday, bomb threats were made from four accounts against three international flights from Mumbai.

8. The BCAS has collaborated with Indian cyber-security agencies and law enforcement to track down those responsible for these threats.

Mumbai Police investigation

The Mumbai Police issued notices to a teenager, his father, and another individual from Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh for questioning regarding the bomb threats directed at the three flights on Monday. One Air India flight headed for New York was diverted to New Delhi, while two IndiGo flights faced delays. No suspicious items were found on any of the aircraft, according to police reports.

Additionally, two IndiGo flights, one bound for Muscat and the other for Jeddah, received bomb threats before departure, prompting their relocation to isolation bays for security inspections.

[With agency inputs]