Just a day before Naidu's announcement, as many as 25 flights operated by major Indian airlines received bomb threats. One message, sent anonymously to IndiGo via X (formerly Twitter), claimed that 12 bombers were on board multiple flights.
The central government is all set to tackle bomb threats to airlines more effectively through legislative actions, Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu announced on Monday (October 21). This move comes after a series of hoax bomb threats disrupted nearly 100 domestic and international flights operated by Indian airlines in the past week.
Addressing the press in New Delhi, the Civil Aviation Minister outlined the government's plan to amend aviation security rules and the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Civil Aviation Act, 1982, to impose stricter penalties on those responsible for such threats. He also highlighted the possibility of placing perpetrators on a no-fly list, making them ineligible to travel by air.
"We have been considering legislative action, if necessary, to address these hoax bomb threats. Our review has identified two areas for potential amendments. First, changes to Aircraft Security Rules to ensure that once we identify the individual responsible for a threat, we can place them on the no-fly list. Second, we are considering amending the Suppression of Unlawful Acts Against Safety of Civil Aviation Act to make these offenses cognizable, with punishments that include fines and imprisonment," Minister Naidu explained.
He stressed that these changes would not only ensure strict consequences but would also serve as a deterrent for anyone considering issuing such threats in the future. The decision comes after a spate of hoax calls that have caused widespread panic and forced airlines to take precautionary measures, leading to significant disruptions.
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Just a day before Naidu's announcement, as many as 25 flights operated by major Indian airlines received bomb threats. One message, sent anonymously to IndiGo via X (formerly Twitter), claimed that 12 bombers were on board multiple flights. In total, flights from six different carriers—IndiGo, Vistara, Air India, Akasa Air, and Air India Express—were affected on Sunday alone.