Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: A wave of hoax threats has plagued Indian airlines, with 29 flights receiving alarming messages since late Friday night, creating chaos across multiple airports. This surge in threats has pushed some metro airports to the brink, struggling to find remote parking bays for the aircraft requiring security checks.
The sudden rise in threats began Friday night, leaving airline officials overwhelmed. “This situation is just crazy,” said representatives from various airlines. Worryingly, sources suggest that these hoax threats have now extended to flights of foreign airlines such as American Airlines and JetBlue.
Affected Flights and Response
Several airlines, including Vistara, Air India, IndiGo, Akasa, and SpiceJet, have faced disruptions due to these security alerts. Vistara’s Delhi-London flight was diverted to Frankfurt on Friday night after receiving a security threat via social media. The aircraft underwent thorough checks before proceeding to its destination. Similarly, Air India’s Newark-Mumbai flight faced a three-hour delay for checks at the origin before finally taking off for India.
IndiGo also saw threats directed at multiple flights, including its Delhi-Istanbul (6E 11) and Mumbai-Istanbul (6E 17) routes. The airline said, “The safety and security of our passengers and crew is our highest priority, and we are working closely with the relevant authorities, following all necessary guidelines.” A Vistara flight from Udaipur to Mumbai and an IndiGo flight from Jodhpur to Delhi were among the other flights affected.
Since last Sunday, Indian airlines have reportedly received over 40 hoax threats targeting both international and domestic flights. While all of these alerts have been deemed false so far, the growing frequency of these incidents is creating significant disruptions in the aviation sector.
