Hoax call menace: Over 20 flights targeted in 1 day
What's the story
Over 20 flights of major Indian airlines, including IndiGo, Vistara, Air India and Akasa Air, received bomb threats on Sunday. The threats were directed at both domestic and international routes.
IndiGo confirmed that six of its flights were impacted by the threats, including routes from Jeddah to Mumbai and Kozhikode to Dammam.
Vistara also reported security alerts for six of its flights including UK 25 from Delhi to Frankfurt and UK 106 from Singapore to Mumbai.
Security measures
Airlines activate emergency response to bomb threats
A Vistara spokesperson said "all relevant authorities were immediately notified," and security procedures are being followed.
Akasa Air also reported security alerts for several of its flights, including QP 1102 from Ahmedabad to Mumbai.
An Akasa Air representative confirmed their Emergency Response team was activated and standard procedures were initiated.
Threat escalation
Air India targeted, over 90 threats reported this week
Sources told PTI that at least six Air India flights were also targeted by the bomb threats.
However, the airline is yet to issue a public comment on the matter.
The incident comes a day after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) met with airline CEOs after multiple flights received at least 70 hoax bomb threats in the past week.
Countermeasures
Civil Aviation Security holds meeting, considers strict measures
It is learned that the CEOs were briefed about the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for tackling threats.
They underlined the importance of keeping all stakeholders informed about the hazards and reaction procedures in place, according to IANS.
In the wake of a surge in bomb threats to Indian carriers, the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Vikram Dev Dutt, was transferred to the Ministry of Coal as Secretary on Sunday.