Ten flights, including an Air India plane with 211 people from Delhi to Chicago, received bomb-threat messages through social media handles in the past 48 hours, prompting security agencies to reportedly undertake specific counter-terrorist drills at various airports.
The seven threats via microblogging platform X on Tuesday came a day after three international flights originating from Mumbai received bomb threats, causing trouble to hundreds of passengers and airline crew. The messages posted on Monday were declared a hoax.
The threats were issued to Air India Express flight IX765 from Jaipur to Bengaluru via Ayodhya, SpiceJet flight SG116 from Darbhanga to Mumbai, Akasa Air flight QP1373 from Bagdogra to Bengaluru, an Air India flight AI127 from Delhi to Chicago, IndiGo flight 6E98 from Dammam (Saudi Arabia) to Lucknow (6E 98), Alliance Air flight 9I650 from Amritsar to Dehradun and Air India Express flight IX684 from Madurai to Singapore.
The X handle has since been suspended by the platform after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) wrote to cyber-security agencies, news agency PTI reported.
An Air India Express spokesperson told PTI in a statement that the airline, along with a few other operators, received a “specific” security threat from an unverified social media handle.
“In response, security protocols were promptly activated as directed by the government-appointed Bomb Threat Assessment Committee. The flight landed safely, and the aircraft will be released for operations following all mandated security procedures,” PTI quoted the spokesperson as saying.
Singapore scrambles 2 fighter jets to escort AI Express plane
The most dramatic of the consequences appeared to be for IX684, which was escorted away out to the sea by two F-15 combat jets of the Singapore Air Force.
“Air India Express received an email that there was a bomb on board flight AXB684 that was bound for Singapore. Two of our RSAF F-15SGs scrambled and escorted the plane away from populated areas, to finally land safely at Singapore Changi Airport around 10:04pm tonight,” said Singapore’s defence minister Ng Eng Hen in a post on X, adding that investigations are ongoing.
10 updates on bombs threats to Indian flights
- The SpiceJet aircraft landed safely at the Mumbai airport and was directed to an isolation bay as a precautionary measure.
- An Akasa Air spokesperson said their flight received a security alert on board. “The captain followed all required emergency procedures and landed safely at the Kempegowda International Airport, Bengaluru at 13:39 hours. All passengers were deplaned and the local authorities undertook the necessary safety and security checks after which the aircraft was released for operations,” the spokesperson said.
- The Air India flight was diverted to the Iqaluit airport in Canada after it became the “subject of a security threat posted online”.
- IndiGo said in a statement that it was “cognisant of a situation involving flight 6E 98 from Dammam to Lucknow”. The Dammam-Lucknow flight landed at the Jaipur airport following its diversion. The aircraft has been sent to an isolation bay, an official at the Jaipur airport told PTI.
- An Alliance Air official said all “precautionary measures” were being taken for the Amritsar-Dehradun-Delhi flight, which was undergoing security checks at the Dehradun airport.
- Air India Express sources told the news agency that their Madurai-Singapore flight was awaiting an approval from Singaporean authorities for landing.
- The suspect X handle tagged the respective airlines’ and some police handles, claiming that bombs were placed on these planes, the sources said.
- Four different X handles issued a similar threat to three international flights originating from Mumbai on Monday.
- All the messages on Monday were declared a hoax after security and intelligence agencies as well as airline and airport operators carried out stipulated anti-terrorist security drills that are activated in case of bomb or hijack threats.
- Officials said the BCAS has sought the help of Indian cyber-security agencies and police to trace the person or people behind these threats.
Mumbai cops summon father-son duo from Chhattisgarh
The Mumbai Police has served a notice to a teenage boy, his father, and another person from Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh asking them to join questioning in connection with bomb threats posted on social media targeting the three flights on Monday.
Three international flights originating from Mumbai received bomb threats on Monday. While a New York-bound Air India flight was diverted to New Delhi and rescheduled, the other two, both operated by IndiGo, were delayed by several hours.
Nothing suspicious was found on any of the planes, police officials had said.
Two IndiGo flights, one headed to Muscat and the other to Jeddah, also received bomb threats before they took off and the planes were moved to isolation bays for security checks.
(With inputs from PTI)
