Amid Bomb Hoaxes, Aviation Officials Identify Leads and Suspects

The aviation sector in India is facing heightened tension after a wave of bomb hoaxes disrupted flight operations across multiple airlines. In the last 48 hours, 12 bomb threats were reported, causing emergency landings, flight diversions, and considerable chaos across the country’s air travel network.

A Parliamentary Committee Takes Note

The issue was raised in a meeting of the parliamentary standing committee on transport, where senior officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation briefed members. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu also participated in these discussions, emphasizing the severity of the threats and the ongoing investigation. Officials assured the committee that they had critical leads and had identified a few initial suspects responsible for these incidents.

Flights Disrupted by Hoaxes

One of the most serious disruptions occurred when an Air India flight from Delhi to Chicago was forced to make an unscheduled landing at a remote airport in Canada following a bomb threat. Meanwhile, seven flights were grounded or redirected on Tuesday due to similar threats.

Some notable incidents include:

• IndiGo flight from Saudi Arabia to Lucknow: Made an emergency landing in Jaipur.
• Air India Xpress flights: Two services had to make emergency stops, including one en route to Ayodhya from Jaipur.
• Akasa Air flights: Faced threats, with one flight returning to Delhi and another being redirected.
• IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Delhi: Redirected to Ahmedabad after receiving a bomb threat.

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security is coordinating with the DGCA to probe these incidents, as several of the threats were linked to a single social media account. Authorities are actively investigating whether the suspect acted alone or was part of a larger network.

Concerns About Regional Connectivity and Ticket Prices

During the parliamentary meeting, members also expressed concerns about ticket pricing discrepancies across airlines, with significant price variations observed on the same routes. Officials acknowledged the issue and promised a more in-depth discussion on improving price regulation. Another focus of the discussion was the UDAAN scheme—a government initiative to enhance air connectivity to remote regions.

Government Response and Next Steps

As the investigation progresses, aviation officials are expected to tighten security protocols and monitor threats more rigorously to avoid future disruptions. With several bomb threats linked to social media, agencies are also working to trace the account owner and assess the motives behind these hoaxes.

This series of threats comes at a time when the aviation sector is recovering from the pandemic’s impact, and the government is focused on expanding domestic air travel under schemes like UDAAN. Authorities stressed that public safety remains their top priority, and all airlines have been instructed to remain on high alert.

As the investigation unfolds, the aviation sector must balance stricter security measures with efficient service delivery to avoid further disruptions.

Reference From: www.ndtv.com