79 fresh threats to airlines in 24 hours, tally jumps to 169 in a week
PTC News Desk: In the past 24 hours at least 79 flights with mostly international routes have received bomb threats, which turned out to be hoax. The airlines included 23 from IndiGo, 21 from Vistara, 12 from Akasa and 23 from Air India. The incidents have pushed the total number to 169 alone in this week.
The most recent threats targeted flights to major destinations such as Jeddah, Istanbul, and Riyadh. "Upon landing, the aircraft was taken to the isolation bay and all customers were safely disembarked. At IndiGo, the safety and security of our customers and crew remains paramount in all facets of our operations. We worked closely with the relevant authorities, and standard operating procedures were followed. We sincerely regret any inconvenience this situation may have caused our customers and appreciate their understanding," Indigo said in a statement released to the press.
Vistara Airlines also confirmed receiving security threats via social media and following protocol after that. "We confirm that a few of Vistara's flights operating on 21 October 2024 received security threats on social media. We immediately alerted the relevant authorities and are following all security procedures as directed by them. At Vistara, the safety and security of our customers, crew, and aircraft are of utmost importance," Vistara Spokesperson said.
During these hoax calls, passengers with utmost security were disembarked and rigorous security checks were conducted. The development comes a day after Union aviation minister announced that making hoax bomb threat calls to airlines will soon become punishable offence.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security is in close contact with MHA in view of the bomb threat to flights situation.
- With inputs from agencies
