At least ten Indian flights have experienced major delays and flight diversions in the last 48 hours due to false bomb threats.
After receiving a bomb threat, Singapore's Air Force used two fighter jets to escort an Air India Express flight away from crowded areas on Tuesday.
As a precaution, an Air India flight from Delhi to Chicago was rerouted to a Canadian airport earlier that day.
Even while fake bomb threats are not uncommon in India, the sudden spike in cases since Monday has sparked worries. The cause of this unexpected increase has not yet been determined by authorities.
Requests for feedback on the issue have not received a response from representatives of India's Bureau of Civil Aviation Security or Directorate General of Civil Aviation.
Other Indian carriers including IndiGo, SpiceJet, and Akasa Air all received identical warnings, indicating that the threats were not just directed at Air India.
Threats posted on social media site X (previously Twitter) caused three international planes from Mumbai to be either delayed or diverted on Monday. Since then, authorities have taken a youngster involved in one of these threats into custody.
Additional threats from another X account, which has since been suspended, affected seven additional aircraft on Tuesday, including the two Air India planes. In their posts, the person had specifically mentioned aircraft numbers and tagged local law enforcement and airlines.
In response, Air India declared that it was pursuing legal action to recoup the expenses paid due to the disruptions and was working with authorities to identify the individuals responsible for the threats.
A Bomb Threat Assessment Committee assesses the threat level at each Indian airport and takes appropriate measures, including deploying bomb disposal teams, sniffer dogs, and emergency services.
The airplane is inspected by engineering and security officials before it is allowed to fly again after passengers are offloaded and their cabin, check-in, and cargo baggage are rescreened in the event of a bomb threat.
Both airlines and security agencies may suffer large financial losses as a result of these delays; operational disruptions can cost thousands of dollars.
These risks also include the involvement of foreign authorities and agencies on international flights, including the most recent ones to Canada and Singapore.
Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen of Singapore said two fighter jets escorted the Air India Express flight. The plane touched down at Changi Airport without incident. Meanwhile, the case is being investigated.
The Chicago-bound Air India flight was rerouted to Iqaluit Airport in Canada. The threat is presently being looked into by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.
While the Air India plane is still grounded awaiting additional approval, Air India later declared that a Canadian Air Force aircraft would take the passengers to Chicago.
