New Delhi: Centre is taking a firm stance over the bomb threats targeting airlines in the last 24 hours. Union Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia will hold a high-level meeting on Wednesday to address the issue.
The meeting will include officials from Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), airlines and Airports Authority of India (AAI).
Bomb threats targetting flights
In the last 24 hours, six planes received bomb threats one after the other, causing significant disruption for passengers. Moreover, 10 flights had been grounded in the last 48 hours of the bomb threats. These flights departed from different airports and followed different routes.
After receiving the threats, all planes were forced to make emergency landings mid-journey. One of these planes had to land in Canada. Despite thorough security checks, nothing suspicious or dangerous was found on any of the flights.
The most recent threat was directed at an Indigo flight from Dammam to Lucknow. Upon receiving the bomb threat, the flight made an emergency landing at Jaipur airport. Security agencies arrived and conducted an extensive investigation. All passengers were checked, and flights arriving and departing from Jaipur airport were temporarily halted for security reasons. Despite the thorough search, no bombs or harmful items were found on the plane.
Most threats made via social media platforms
Most of the bomb threats were made via social media platforms. Among the six affected flights, three were international, each carrying hundreds of passengers who endured significant inconvenience due to the threats. Security checks were carried out on all six planes, but no bombs or other dangerous items were found.
On Monday, three additional planes also received bomb threats, leading to further complications for travellers. As with the other cases, no dangerous items were found during security checks on these flights.
In a statement, IndiGo confirmed awareness of the bomb threat situation involving flight 6E98 from Dammam to Lucknow. The airline said that the safety of passengers and crew is its top priority.
