Skybound Alarm: Hoax Bomb Threats Plague Indian Airlines

Indian carriers have faced over 350 hoax bomb threats in 14 days, particularly targeting flights by Akasa Air, IndiGo, and Vistara. With most threats originating from social media, the IT Ministry and civil aviation ministry are considering measures to curb this menace.

On Sunday, Indian airlines were plagued by bomb threats, affecting at least 50 flights, according to unnamed sources. Over the last fourteen days, more than 350 flights have faced similar bogus threats, primarily through social media platforms.

Akasa Air was one of the major targets, reporting security alerts on 15 flights, while IndiGo and Vistara received threats on 18 and 17 flights, respectively. India's IT Ministry has urged social media companies to adhere to legal requirements by quickly removing false information.

In response, the civil aviation ministry is contemplating legislative actions to address the recurrent hoax bomb threats, underscoring the urgency to protect airlines and passengers from these disruptive incidents.

(With inputs from agencies.)