Bomb Threats: 3 Vistara Flights Get Hoax Calls In 24 Hours; Safety Panel Assures Airline CEOs Of Following Protocols

Adding to the list of the hoax bomb threats, three more international flights of Vistara airline received bomb threats in last 24 hours that once again turned out to be hoaxes. Amongst the three flights, one was diverted to Frankfurt as a precautionary measure as well. With this, in the past few days, over 40 flights operated by the Indian carriers have received bomb threats which later turned out to be hoaxes.

In light of the current scenario, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has convened a meeting of CEOs of Airlines at Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan in Delhi, the headquarters of the Airports Authority of India.

As per reports, during the meeting, the Director General of BCAS, Zulfiquar Hasan, assured the airlines that all security protocols and SOPs were being followed.

According to the official statement issued by the Vistara spokesperson, the three flights to London, Paris and Hong Kong received security threats on social media on Friday and as per protocol, all the relevant authorities were promptly alerted.

"Vistara flight UK17 operating from Delhi to London was diverted to Frankfurt as a precautionary measure. The aircraft landed at Frankfurt Airport safely and we fully cooperated with the authorities to complete the necessary checks following which, the flight was cleared to conclude the journey," the spokesperson said.

However, the flights to Paris and Hong Kong landed safely at the respective airports.

Air India flight's emergency landing in Jaipur

Besides the Air Vistara flights, a Dubai-Jaipur Air India Express flight made an emergency landing at the Jaipur airport in the early hours of Saturday due to a bomb threat, which later turned out to be a hoax, officials said.

After authorities were alerted about the threat, an emergency was declared at the airport. The flight with 189 passengers onboard landed safely at the airport at 1.20 am, an official said, adding that the plane was checked thoroughly but nothing suspicious was found.

Bomb threat for 5 Air India flights

At least five Air India flights on Thursday received security threat messages via social media. However, despite the threats, all five flights successfully made safe landings after completion of their respective journeys.

One of the five flights, travelling from Mumbai to London, declared an emergency on Thursday after receiving a bomb threat. According to FlightRadar 24, an online flight tracking website, the aircraft issued a ‘squawking 7700,’ a signal to declare a general emergency just an hour before landing. 

Flight hoax calls: Ministry intervenes

From placing offenders on a no-fly list, to combating the hoax security threats- the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) has decided to implement stringent measures.

Commenting on the developments, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said, "Action is being taken on this. We can't comment on any kind of a conspiracy but from whatever little bit we know these calls are coming from some minors and pranksters. These are all minor and isolated incidents. There is no kind of conspiracy that we can comment on. From our side, we are going to see what best we can do. We are talking to the airlines, security agencies, within the ministry also. Consultations are going on."

"I am deeply concerned over the recent disruptive acts targeting Indian airlines, affecting domestic and international operations. Such mischievoυς and unlawful actions are a matter of grave concern, and I strongly condemn any attempts to compromise the safety, security, and operational integrity of our aviation sector," read a statement on the MoCA website

On Wednesday, during the first meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport headed by Janata Dal (United) MP Sanjay Jha, issues such as rising airfares, hoax calls, and regional airport connectivity were discussed. As per media reports, the committee has assured to look at critical aspects of transport and connectivity in the country.

According to Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam, the investigators have gathered some information and are taking action. They are working on a few other cases of such hoax messages, he added.

Minor arrested in hoax calls row

Mumbai Police on Wednesday took into custody a 17-year-old boy. The minor reportedly hails from Chhattisgarh's Rajnandgaon. As per media reports, the threats were allegedly issued as the minor wanted to frame one of his friends, with whom he had a dispute over money. 

A preliminary investigation revealed that the teenager allegedly created a handle on X in the name of the friend and posted bomb threats from it.