Jet scrambled, now in UK, as threats dog Indian flights

On Thursday, Air India confirmed five of its flights had been affected, while Vistara and IndiGo confirmed one each. Between Monday and Wednesday, at least 17 flights were named in similar hoaxes

An Air India flight from Mumbai to London was briefly asked to go into a holding pattern and was intercepted by a Royal Air Force fighter jet on Thursday — the fourth day when a string of hoax threats made against Indian carriers continued and triggered security scares at multiple airports.

In all cases, thorough checks found no suspicious objects. But that such disruption continued for a fourth day exposes a stark vulnerability: perpetrators who have heavily masked their internet presence have carefully targeted flights that are in the air, triggering a frenzy. (PTI)

Since Monday, several domestic and international flights of Indian carriers, including Air India, IndiGo, Vistara, SpiceJet and Akasa Air have had to be diverted, delayed or taken to holding for a security sweep after anonymous social media users, particularly on X, claimed there were explosives on board.

On Thursday, Air India confirmed five of its flights had been affected, while Vistara and IndiGo confirmed one each. Between Monday and Wednesday, at least 17 flights were named in similar hoaxes.

“Five Air India flights received a security threat on social media today. These have been duly reported to the regulatory bodies and all laid down procedures were strictly followed as per guidance of the regulatory bodies. All the five flights have made a safe landing. Air India is committed to and accords top priority to the safety and security of its passengers and crew,” the airline said in a statement.

In all cases, thorough checks found no suspicious objects. But that such disruption continued for a fourth day exposes a stark vulnerability: perpetrators who have heavily masked their internet presence have carefully targeted flights that are in the air, triggering a frenzy.

Airline officials have indicated that diversions and delays cost thousands of dollars of losses per hour while security experts believe repeated scrambling can strain security services, hampering safety of lives and raising the chances of human error. Experts and officials also have called for exemplary action to create a powerful deterrence.

The Royal Air Force on Thursday issued a statement in connection with flight AI-129 that was intercepted. “We can confirm that RAF Quick Reaction Alert Typhoon fighter aircraft from RAF Coningsby were launched this afternoon, to investigate a civilian aircraft,” a Royal Air Force spokesperson said, according to news agency PTI.

Following an uneventful interception, the aircraft was released to continue to its original destination under the direction of civilian air traffic control, the spokesperson added.

Audio of the passenger jet’s crew alerting air traffic control to the potential threat was recorded by a Dutch plane spotter. In it, the captain can be heard telling ground controllers: “We have a suspected bomb on board, requesting priority landing.”

It continued: “We have a bomb threat. Air India 129 is requesting descent.”

According to Flightradar24, the Air India jet was over the North Sea when it changed course and circled over Norfolk and parts of Suffolk several times before landing at London Heathrow roughly 1 hour and 32 minutes behind schedule.

A loud sonic boom was reported across Norfolk as the fighter jets raced to intercept the airliner, BBC reported.

In Mumbai, two international arrivals were subject to security check after they were the subject of similar threats. This included a Vistara service, flight UK 028 from Frankfurt, and Indigo’s 6E-18 from Istanbul.

On Wednesday, seven flights were similarly targeted, and an equal number were affected the day before, including one Air India Express flight that was intercepted by Singapore Air Force’s F-15 fighter jets, and an Air India service to Chicago that landed at a remote Canadian town.

The 200 passengers on the Chicago-bound Air India flight were eventually taken to their destination by a Canadian military plane the following day.

Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu described the matter as being of “grave concern” following a high-level meeting on Wednesday.

On Thursday, he said: “Action is being taken on this. We can’t comment on any kind of a conspiracy but from whatever little bit we know these calls are coming from some minors and pranksters. These are all minor and isolated incidents”.

“There is no kind of conspiracy that we can comment on. From our side, we are going to see what best we can do. We are talking to the airlines, security agencies, within the ministry also. Consultations are going on,” he added, according to ANI.

Aviation security officials said the threats follow a similar pattern, HT reported on Thursday. The hoaxes are communicated mostly via social media posts made from new accounts.

News agency PTI, citing unnamed sources, reported late on Thursday that 10 social media handles that issued the threats had been suspended or blocked by cyber security agencies till now.

Security agencies also found some common phrases used in these threats, such as “blood will spread everywhere”, “explosive devices”, “this is not a joke” and “you will all die”, the report added.