NEW DELHI: Heightened security measures were enforced at multiple airports after a fresh bomb threat targeted at least 28 flights on Friday, affecting carriers like SpiceJet, IndiGo, Air India, and Vistara.
According to sources, eight IndiGo flights, six Air India alongside seven each from SpiceJet, and Vistara, were impacted, sparking swift action from airport authorities.
“The IndiGo flights from Delhi - Istanbul, Jeddah-Mumbai, Mumbai- Istanbul, Hyderabad- Chandigarh, Pune- Jodhpur, Kozhikode to Dammam and Udaipur to Delhi received security threats,” said a IndiGo spokesperson.
This incident comes on the heels of a similar threat on Thursday that affected over 80 flights across major Indian airlines, including Alliance Air and Akasa Air.
In response to the repeated threats, the government has requested Meta, X and other social media companies to share data related to suspicious hoax calls and messages on their platforms.
An official source disclosed that these requests emphasise the importance of public safety and aim to trace the origin of these threats.
The government also urged global tech companies to collaborate closely to identify individuals responsible for these alarming calls, underscoring that such cooperation is vital for public security.
Meanwhile, security agencies remain on high alert as they work alongside airport operators to ensure passengers’ safety and maintain confidence amid the ongoing threats.
In 12 days, more than 275 flights operated by the Indian carriers have received bomb threats. Most of the threats were issued through social media.
Earlier this week, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said the government plans to take legislative actions to deal with instances of bomb threats to airlines, including placing perpetrators of such threats in the no-fly list. No one has been arrested so far in this matter except one Chhattisgarh teen, who was detained by Mumbai Police on October 16.