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Today, two Mumbai-bound flights from Frankfurt and Istanbul received threats on social media after they had taken off. Both flights have landed safely in Mumbai. The Mumbai police have filed 7 FIRs relating to the bomb threats. However, only a 17-year-old minor from Chhattisgarh has been detained for allegedly threatening three flights.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Civil Aviation is exploring ways to impose harsher punishments on those behind such threats. One of the first measures in the works is the inclusion of those behind hoax bomb threats in the no-fly list.
MR Sivaraman, former Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), emphasised the seriousness of the situation. “It causes panic among passengers, airport authorities, and police. Nobody can take such a threat lightly, even if it turns out to be false,” he noted.
Read more: Bomb scare on Indian flights: Over 20 hoax threats traced to origins in London and Germany
Sivaraman also pointed out that India already has stringent laws under the 1982 Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Civil Aviation Act. According to him, there is no need for new laws, but rather, better enforcement of existing ones, which already mandate life imprisonment for those guilty of issuing hoax threats.
Captain Wadia, Founder and President of the Federation of Indian Pilots, echoed similar concerns. While acknowledging the high financial costs, he argued that the damage to reputation and the inconvenience to passengers is even more significant.
Wadia described the current wave of threats as part of a broader pattern, suggesting that such actions might be an attempt to undermine India’s stability. “This is far more serious than isolated bomb threats; it looks like a weapon being used against the very foundation of the country,” he said.
Also Read | Flight Bomb Hoaxes | Mumbai police question minor over threats to airlines
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