In the wake of recent bomb hoaxes affecting multiple Indian flights, at least 85 additional flights from IndiGo, Air India, Vistara, and Akasa Air received similar threats on Thursday, October 24.
Officials reported that the threats were directed at 20 flights from Air India, 20 from IndiGo, 20 from Vistara, and 25 from Akasa Air. Over the past ten days, more than 250 flights have been impacted by these hoax bomb threats.
In response to the escalating situation, the Central government is considering comprehensive legislative measures to address bomb threats targeting airlines, including the potential addition of offenders to a no-fly list.
During the last eight days, the Delhi Police have filed eight separate First Information Reports (FIRs) concerning bomb threats affecting over 90 domestic and international flights.
Government officials recently conducted a virtual meeting with representatives from social media platforms, including X and Meta, as well as airline officials, to address the ongoing issue. The meeting, chaired by Joint Secretary Sanket S. Bhondve, highlighted concerns about “X abetting crime” and pressed representatives on the measures they are implementing to mitigate the spread of such rumors.
The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology criticized X and Meta for their perceived “non-cooperation” in investigations related to these bomb threat incidents. All accounts involved in disseminating the threats were found to be fake.
According to a source, the ministry emphasized the necessity for a prompt response to quickly identify and apprehend the perpetrators and repeat offenders. Additionally, the IT ministry raised concerns about delays in providing user details associated with the fake accounts, which has allowed offenders to evade detection.
