At least 20 flights were disrupted by hoax bomb threats in India in a disturbing trend that has rattled the country’s aviation sector.
The wave of threats, mostly issued via X, caused alarm among passengers and aviation authorities alike, and prompted urgent responses from government officials.
The most recent threat was made to a Vistara flight arriving in Mumbai from Germany’s Frankfurt, carrying 147 passengers and crew. The aircraft made an emergency landing at the Mumbai airport at 7.45am local time and was taken to the isolation bay for mandatory security checks.
A similar threat forced an Air India flight to Chicago to make an emergency landing in Canada, stranding over 200 passengers for over 18 hours at a remote airport.
Another Air India flight from Mumbai to New York had to be rerouted to Delhi, evacuated, and searched for explosives.
The threats have also prompted security agencies to conduct counterterrorist drills at various airports, leading to flight delays.
Is there a ‘pattern’ behind the threats?
Indian police and security agencies have launched investigations into these incidents, but made little headway. So far they have only arrested a minor boy accused of issuing three hoax threats from a fake X handle, supposedly in a bid to implicate his friend.
Investigators have been trying to establish a “pattern” in the series of threats to various airlines, the Hindustan Times reported, citing unnamed sources.
“There is a pattern behind the messages. A threat is given using social media or through a phone call, and then suddenly similar threats start to appear within a short span of time,” an aviation security official, who was part of the discussions, told the paper.
“VPNs have been used to post the messages to avoid being traced. We’re analysing the pattern, and investigation agencies are coordinating to locate the sources of threats.”
The intention, the official claimed, was to “definitely disturb the aviation sector, create panic, and keep the agencies on their toes”.
India’s civil aviation minister assured that urgent steps were being taken to address the situation. “Such activities are a matter of grave concern,” K Ram Mohan Naidu said on Wednesday….
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at The Independent Travel…