70 bomb threats in 6 days: Aviation body launches probe to find 'root cause'

Nearly 70 flights operated by the Indian carriers have received hoax bomb threats in the last few days.

Amid a spate of hoax bomb threats to Indian airlines, officials from the aviation safety body Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) on Saturday met representatives of airlines at the body's headquarters in Delhi, ANI reported.

An Air India aircraft among others parked on the tarmac at Terminal 3 of the Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport in New Delhi.(Vipin Kumar / HT photo)

During the meeting, airline representatives discussed issues they are facing due to the series of Hoax bomb threats with BCAS DG Zulfiqar Hasan.

They also apprised him that security issues during the festive season could lead to congestion at airports.

According to ANI, Hasan instructed the airlines to follow safety and security guidelines strictly. BCAS officials also assured the airlines representatives that they are working with the concerned agencies to find out the root cause of the issue.

After the meeting, Hasan told ANI that safety protocols to deal with such threats are robust and that passengers should fly without any fear.

“Indian skies are absolutely safe. The current protocol (to deal with the situation) is robust and is being strictly followed,” Hasan told the news agency. "We reassure passengers that they should fly without any fear and in fact, fly even more."

Nearly 70 flights received hoax bomb threats

Nearly 70 flights operated by the Indian carriers have received hoax bomb threats in the last few days.

Due to the hoax threats, many flights were diverted while some airlines were forced to re-screen all their passengers, causing major inconvenience and delays.

The spate of such threats against Indian airlines has also led to major financial repercussions, with airline officials estimating losses running into crores of rupees.

Earlier this week, civil aviation minister K Rammohan Naidu said law enforcement agencies are actively pursuing all cases of bomb threats against airlines and the government is closely monitoring the situation.

The Union government is also planning to increase the deployment of air marshals on flights, while investigation agencies examine whether there is a “pattern” in the warnings.