Aviation security chief meets airline CEOs over bomb threats

NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: The aviation sector faced an unprecedented wave of hoax bomb threats Saturday, with 30 to 40 flights across Indian carriers and five Delta Air Lines flights being targeted. This marks the highest number of threats in a single day, adding to the disruption the industry has endured over the week since Monday.

The hoaxes included threats to both domestic and international flights, with Saturday being the first instance where a foreign airliner was affected. Over the past week, more than 70 hoax alerts have been received, impacting airline schedules.

Aviation sources said a major airport temporarily ran out of isolation bays used for aircraft inspections following bomb threats. "Some messages came for flights that had landed and passengers had alighted. This is crazy. Over 80-90 threats in seven days," an official said.

Among Delta's flights receiving threats were DL3 (New York to London), DL8 (Tokyo to Los Angeles), DL20 (Seattle to London), DL27 (Atlanta to Seoul), and DL32 (Dallas to Atlanta). A threatening message, posted in response to a Delta customer service tweet on X, said: "Hi. There are bombs placed onboard of 5 your planes. No one will make it out alive. Hurry up and evacuate the plane."

The message was shared by the now-restricted account @adamlanza111. Indian carriers also faced social media threats. On Thursday, Air India flights were targeted by @psychotichuman, which has since been temporarily restricted by X.

Among the flights affected Saturday were several Indigo services, including flights from Mumbai and Delhi to Istanbul, Jeddah to Mumbai, Hyderabad to Calicut, and Hyderabad to Chandigarh. SpiceJet also reported threats to its Amritsar-Dubai, Darbhanga-Mumbai, and Delhi-Dharamshala services, among others. Akasa Air flights targeted included routes from Bengaluru to Guwahati, Goa to Mumbai, and Hyderabad to Delhi. Alliance Air flights from Agatti Island to Cochin and Shimla to Dharamshala were also hit.

While most flights reached their destinations safely, thorough security protocols required after threats caused delays. Aircraft targeted by specific threats - those that mention flight numbers and other details - must undergo extensive checks. An official said: "These disruptions have a cascading effect, causing delays for other flights operated by the same aircraft."

However, only one flight - a Vistara Delhi-London service - was diverted Friday. A Vistara spokesperson said: "As a precautionary measure, pilots decided to divert to Frankfurt. Flight landed safely at Frankfurt where all mandatory checks were conducted by security agencies following which, the aircraft was cleared to conclude the journey." Other Vistara flights targeted included Singapore-Mumbai (UK106), Mumbai-Frankfurt (UK027), Mumbai-Singapore (UK107), Delhi-Bangkok (UK121), and Mumbai-Colombo (UK131).

Air India also reported disruptions, with a Newark-Mumbai flight delayed by three hours while undergoing additional security checks. Several other AI flights to destinations like New York, London, and Chicago were also targeted. IndiGo and Akasa Air were similarly affected.

Bureau of Civil Aviation Security chief Zulfiquar Hasan held a meeting with airline CEOs to discuss the issue. "Indian skies are absolutely safe. The current protocol is robust and is being strictly followed. We reassure passengers that they should fly without any fear and in fact fly even more," Hasan said.

An official said: "While attempts are being made to end or minimise this menace with the home ministry actively involved, we have to minimise passenger inconvenience and disruptions while ensuring security." Airlines have increased efforts to provide refreshments and basic necessities for affected passengers.