Indian airlines face a surge of hoax bomb threats
At least 19 Indian flights have received hoax bomb threats since Monday, disrupting operations across multiple airlines and forcing diversions, delays and security interventions in India, Singapore and Canada.
The BBC report says at least 10 flights were hit over the previous 48 hours alone, with Air India, IndiGo, SpiceJet and Air Akasa among the affected carriers. The threats have come through social media and have already prompted police action, including the detention of a teenager linked to one of the accounts.
The impact on operations has been wide-ranging. An Air Akasa flight headed to Bengaluru was diverted to Delhi after a threat. An Air India flight from Delhi to Chicago landed at Iqaluit in Canada as a precaution. Another Air India Express plane flying from Madurai to Singapore was escorted by two Singapore Air Force fighter jets before landing safely at Changi Airport.
The BBC says one of the threatening X accounts has since been suspended. Screenshots reviewed by the outlet showed posts tagging airlines and police and identifying flight numbers, suggesting an attempt to give the threats the appearance of specificity and urgency even when the claims were false.
India’s civil aviation minister said the government was monitoring the situation closely and doing everything possible to protect operations. A senior home ministry official was quoted as saying more security officers may be sent to sensitive routes, although there has been no official confirmation of that step. The DGCA and the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security did not respond to the BBC’s request for comment.
Even where a threat turns out to be fake, the consequences are real. Flights must be diverted, passengers screened again, baggage checked, aircraft inspected and security staff mobilised. The BBC says those measures can cost airlines and agencies thousands of dollars per incident, and in the case of international flights they can also bring in foreign authorities.
The pattern matters because hoax bomb threats are not new in India, but the sudden surge has created a scale problem. Instead of one isolated security scare, airlines now face a rolling disruption that stretches across domestic and long-haul international routes. That is why the response has involved not just airport officials but police, civil aviation authorities and foreign governments.
The immediate question is who is behind the threats and why the campaign intensified so quickly. The longer-term question is how airlines and regulators can prevent social-media hoaxes from turning into nationwide operational paralysis.
