No End to Mid-Air Bomb Scare: Over 60 Flights Get Fresh Threats

New Delhi: Over 60 flights, including those operated by Vistara, Air India , and IndiGo, were facing renewed mid-air bomb threats on Monday. The situation has led to heightened scrutiny and precautionary measures among airlines and airport security personnel. The latest round of threats comes amid a troubling series of incidents that have affected the aviation sector for several weeks.

In the past 15 days, more than 410 domestic and international flights operated by Indian carriers have received hoax bomb threats. Most of the threats were issued through social media.

The sources familiar of the matter said around 21 flights each of Air India and IndiGo, and about 20 flights of Vistara received the threats on Monday.

An Air India spokesperson said a number of its flights were subject to security threats received on social media on Monday.

"Following the laid down protocols, relevant authorities were immediately alerted, and all security procedures strictly adhered to, as per guidance from the regulatory authorities," the spokesperson said in a statement.

Meanwhile, against the backdrop of a spate of hoax bomb threats to airlines, the IT Ministry has asked social media platforms to observe due diligence obligations and promptly remove or disable access to misinformation within the strict timelines prescribed under IT rules.

Also, the civil aviation ministry is looking to take legislative actions to tackle the menace of the hoax bomb threats to airlines.

On Sunday, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said the Centre is mulling steps to ban perpetrators, who resort to hoax bomb threats, from flying.

(With agency inputs)