Over 30 Air India flights receive bomb threats amid security concerns

At least 32 Air India flights received bomb threats on Tuesday, reported Times Now. This followed a similar incident on Monday, where seven flights to and from Kolkata were targeted with bomb threats via social media.

At least seven flights of India-based carriers to and fro Kolkata received bomb threat messages through social media posts on Monday, reported PTI, citing officials at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International (NSCBI) Airport as saying. The threats, however, turned out to be a hoax and flights were operated.

"It was learnt around 2.45 pm that messages were posted on X handle 'I wanna slit your throat' that bombs were planted inside seven flights related to the Kolkata airport," the Director of NSCBI airport, Dr Pravat Ranjan Beuria, said.


The posts mentioned the certain number of flights of both airlines, in which bombs had allegedly been placed, reported PTI.

The Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) held a meeting after which the threats were declared "non-specific", said Beuria, who is also the Chairman of the panel.

In view of the bomb threats, the BTAC decided to follow the SOP to thwart any untoward incident, as per the PTI report.

The BTAC committee also instructed all to follow guidelines to avoid panic situations in Bomb threats, he said.

Increasing bomb threats
In 15 days, over 410 domestic and international flights operated by the Indian carriers have received hoax bomb threats.

Against this backdrop, 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.

The civil aviation ministry is also looking to take action to tackle the menace of the hoax bomb threats to airlines.

(With inputs from agencies)