This year, airlines in India have been grappling with a significant rise in bomb hoaxes, with nearly 1,000 threats reported. IndiGo, the country's largest airline, has been the hardest hit, suffering the highest number of hoax threats. These fake threats, typically sent via email or social media, have forced airlines to take immediate security measures, including emergency landings and rerouting flights.
According to reports, between October 15 and October 22, over 150 flights received hoax bomb threats, prompting a wave of cancellations, diversions, and delays. Aircraft from major cities such as Delhi and Mumbai were particularly affected, with IndiGo and Akasa Air being the most targeted carriers, seeing 26 and 20 of their flights impacted, respectively. Vistara, Air India Express, and other airlines also faced multiple disruptions. Some flights had to make emergency landings, including a Vistara flight bound for Frankfurt, which had to turn back after being denied permission to land in Afghanistan.
The surge in hoaxes has put immense pressure on the aviation sector, with several flights being escorted by fighter jets or rerouted to safer regions. The aviation authorities have been working closely with airlines and social media platforms to identify those responsible for these threats. In response, the government has proposed stricter laws to deal with such incidents, including a potential "no-fly" list for offenders and amendments to the Civil Aviation Act to facilitate arrests without court orders. The increasing frequency of these hoaxes highlights the urgent need for stronger measures to ensure the safety and security of air travel in India.