Bomb threats on flights: What should passengers do?

The increasing number of bomb threats on flights and consequent diversion has caused much anguish to passengers. What should they do in such situations?

The last five days have seen over 20 flights being diverted due to bomb threats. From the B777 landing at Iqaluit Airport in Canada, to fighter aircraft escorting an aircraft near Singapore, it has been turbulent for airlines, passengers, airports, security apparatus and the government. A Dubai-Jaipur Air India flight, with 189 passengers, made an emergency landing at the Jaipur airport due to a bomb threat, which later turned out to be a hoax. As more investigations take place on where these threats are coming from and what action needs to be taken to avoid this in future, one thing remains steadfastly clear - zero tolerance to threats, as has been reiterated by the head of BCAS (Bureau of Civil Aviation Security) the nodal body for security in India.

The increasing number of bomb threats on flights and consequent diversion has caused much anguish to passengers. What should they do in such situations? (PTI)

The impact has been across airlines with IndiGo, Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air, SpiceJet and Alliance Air having received such threats so far, while being on ground and in the air. From being stranded in a cold place without hotels, to seeing fighter planes next to your planes and being stuck on an isolated bay being aware it is a bomb threat, the experience can be stressful for the passengers to say the least. More often than not, the passengers include senior citizens, infants, kids which require special handling, food and medicines.

No matter how much of a hoax it looks prima facie, every threat is taken seriously and laid down protocols followed. These specific threats also raise questions if these are part of any long term plans to test the preparedness of the authorities or to tire the whole setup or simply disrupt the economy.

What is considered a threat?

A specific information received by anyone or by the public at large is considered a threat. This may involve information received at call centres, airports, social media amongst others and the airline staff is trained to handle this. This includes staff at all passenger touchpoints as well as backend staff at places like call centres. Specific formats to note down the threat and any other information is handy to ensure that the security agencies get the maximum information and can deal accordingly.

There are security committees at various levels which are constituted and take over the threat along with next steps. Concerned airline and airport representatives are part of the whole process to ensure that everyone is updated simultaneously and there is a direct channel for information to be processed.

What should the passengers do?

It can be terrifying from a passenger perspective. The passengers should cooperate with the crew and security agencies who are there to help. An orderly disembarking along with giving priority to infants, kids, expectant mothers and senior citizens. It is wise to focus and identify your own luggage.

In case there are any signs of suspicious behaviour of co-passengers, letting the cabin crew know discreetly will add value. There have been cases where threats have been found in the washrooms with no way to cross check who from the plane went and wrote. In such occasions, co-passengers information can add value to the investigation. Most importantly, maintaining calm, not spreading lies or unsubstantiated information will go a long way in ensuring that the security agencies do their job effectively and it helps release the aircraft soon, which could then be used to fly towards the intended destination.

Do passengers have any rights in such situations?

Incidents such as these are classified as “force majeure” and beyond the control of the airline and thus not liable for any compensation. Its the security team which has control of the aircraft in such situations and it is common to not get the checked-in luggage immediately till secondary checks are done. Under such circumstances, blaming the airline or the airport does not help in any manner.

Requests for medicines and food for infants or kids are usually catered too on priority wherever possible, but things like providing hotel rooms or additional meals may be dependent on the threat level, airport where the aircraft is and the security detail.

Tail note

There is a dire need to investigate and book the guilty. In the past, anti-social elements have done such hoax calls for everything from fun to stopping relatives and friends from travelling, but there has never been such a spate of incidents in quick succession which looks like a coordinated effort amongst specific elements.