1,143 hoax bomb threats to flights in 2 yrs, Indigo & Air India reported 555 cases in 3 months

Airline carriers have reported as many as 1,143 hoax bomb threats in two years in the country, according to the figures furnished in the Rajya Sabha. Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol told the Rajya Sabha that a total of 1143 hoax bomb threat messages/calls have been received since August 2022 till November 13, 2024.

The highest number of calls were received in 2024; 994. In the last three months alone, airline carriers reported 680 fake threats. As per the list furnished in the parliament, Indigo received the highest number of calls (197) followed by Air India (178) and Vistara (151). State-wise figures show that Delhi and Maharashtra recorded the highest number of cases related to hoax bomb calls between January 2023 and November 2024; 282 and 244 respectively. Kerala reported 59 such cases during this period. In 2024, October alone reported 666 hoax bomb threats in the country.

The Minister said that the threats are received from random station and not from any specific locations. Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, aviation security regulator in the country, has mandated robust protocols for handling such threats. Bomb threat contingency plan (BTCP), a detailed contingency plan, is in place to handle such threats. As a part of BTCP, every airport has a designated Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) which analyses the threat and act accordingly. As per assessment of BTAC, hoax bomb calls result in adversely affecting operations of some of the flights resulting in impact on airlines, airports and other stakeholders. BCAS has issued advisories to all the Civil Aviation Installations in the country to streamline security measures and to prevent any unlawful interference with civil aviation, the Minister said in the reply.

The Government does not consider introducing any amendment to Aircraft Act, 1934 in view of the number of hoax bomb threats to airlines, said Minister for Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu in another reply. The Minister however said that the Government is considering an amendment to the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation Act,1982 and Aircraft (Security) Rules, 2023 to make it more comprehensive as per evolving threats. According to the Section 3(1)(d) of Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation Act,1982 , if any person communicates such information which he knows to be false so as to endanger the safety of an aircraft in flight, the person shall be punished with imprisonment for life and shall also be liable to fine.