Kochi: In a series of ongoing hoax bomb threats, over 70 flights across various airports and airlines in the country received warning messages on Thursday. Most of these alerts were sent to the X handles of the airlines.
Six of the flights targeted involved airlines operating from/to Cochin International Airport. The Bomb Threat Assessment Committees (BTAC) were convened, and further actions were initiated.
The six affected flights are: Indigo flights (6E304) Kochi to Hyderabad and (6E196) Kochi to Bangalore; Vistara flight (UK516) Kochi to Bombay; Air India (AI149) Kochi to London Gatwick; Akasa Air (QP1519) Kochi to Bombay; and SpiceJet (SG17) Dubai to Kochi.
In addition to these, approximately 20 flights from Air India, Vistara, and IndiGo also received threats, while Akasa Air reported threats to about 14 flights, reported PTI. Over the past 11 days, nearly 250 flights operated by Indian carriers have been targeted with bomb threats.
An Akasa Air spokesperson stated that some of its flights operating on October 24 received security alerts. "The Akasa Air Emergency Response teams are closely monitoring the situation and are in touch with security and regulatory authorities. We are following all safety and security procedures in coordination with local authorities," the spokesperson said in a statement.
Earlier this week, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu announced that the government plans to introduce legislative measures to address bomb threats to airlines, including placing perpetrators on the no-fly list.