60 More Flights Get Bomb Threats: Over 60 flights of Indian carriers received bomb threats on Monday, sources said. In the last 15 days, more than 410 domestic and international flights operated by Indian carriers have faced hoax bomb threats, mostly issued through social media.
According to sources in the know, around 21 flights each from Air India and IndiGo, and about 20 Vistara flights received threats on Monday alone. An Air India spokesperson confirmed that multiple flights had faced security threats through social media on Monday.
“Following the laid down protocols, relevant authorities were immediately alerted, and all security procedures strictly adhered to, as per guidance from the regulatory authorities,” the spokesperson said in a statement.
Meanwhile, against the backdrop of a spate of hoax bomb threats to airlines, the IT Ministry has asked social media platforms to observe due diligence obligations and promptly remove or disable access to misinformation within the strict timelines prescribed under IT rules.
Also, the civil aviation ministry is looking to take legislative actions to tackle the menace of the hoax bomb threats to airlines.
On Sunday, Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu said the Centre is mulling steps to ban perpetrators, who resort to hoax bomb threats, from flying.
7 Flights To And From Kolkata Receive Bomb Threats
At least seven flights of India-based carriers to and fro Kolkata received bomb threat messages through social media posts on Monday, officials at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport here said. The threats, however, turned out to be a hoax and flights were operated.