India has experienced a shocking rise in hoax bomb threats targeting its airlines and airports this year, with 999 reported cases as of November 14, according to Deputy Civil Aviation Minister Murlidhar Mohol. This marks a nearly tenfold increase compared to 2023.
As per the Leaders Asia sources, more than half of these threats occurred in just two weeks at the end of October, causing significant chaos. Flight schedules were disrupted nationwide, with delays and diversions becoming the norm.
Fortunately, none of the threats were found to be credible, Mr. Mohol reassured. “No actual threat was detected at any of the airports or on aircraft,” he stated. Despite this, the incidents led to 256 police complaints and 12 arrests.
The scale of this surge is unprecedented. Between 2014 and 2017, only 120 such hoaxes were recorded, with most targeting Delhi and Mumbai airports.
According to the Leaders Asia sources, the wave of threats in October alone disrupted multiple flights, some of which were international. In one incident, Singapore’s Air Force deployed fighter jets to escort an Air India Express plane following a bomb threat. Another Air India flight from New Delhi to Chicago was forced to land in a remote Canadian airport, and passengers were later flown to their destination on a military aircraft provided by Canadian authorities.
India’s aviation ministry has pledged to protect flight operations, emphasizing the stringent procedures in place. Each threat activates the Bomb Threat Assessment Committee, which coordinates with bomb squads, sniffer dogs, medical teams, and law enforcement. Planes and baggage are meticulously re-screened, causing delays that can cost airlines and security agencies thousands of dollars.
The impact on the aviation sector is substantial. Last year alone, over 150 million passengers traveled domestically across India’s 150 operational airports, including 33 international hubs. With more than 3,000 flights arriving and departing daily, the stakes for security and efficiency remain high.
As India grapples with this unprecedented spike in hoax threats, it highlights the challenges of balancing passenger safety with minimizing disruption in one of the
