Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: Amid a surge in hoax threats targeting commercial flights, the Indian government has announced its intention to place individuals responsible for these threats on the no-fly list. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) had proposed this measure in June to the Union aviation ministry, suggesting that those issuing such threats for flights and other aviation-related infrastructure should be banned from flying.
“BCAS had not identified the relevant law to base this move on, but we will work it out,” said a senior official from the aviation ministry. Airlines have been urging the government to address this menace, which causes significant disruption, inconveniences passengers, and incurs heavy financial costs. Air India has announced its intention to “consider legal action against those responsible to recover damages incurred by the airline.”
Recent Spike in Threats
The last three days have witnessed an alarming increase in hoax threats. On Wednesday, an Akasa flight from Delhi to Bangalore returned to Delhi following a threat, and an IndiGo Mumbai-Delhi flight was diverted to Ahmedabad. In total, at least 10 flights have received threats since Monday, including Air India’s Delhi-Chicago flight, which was forced to land in a remote Canadian town, and AI’s Mumbai-New York flight, which had to divert to Delhi.
BCAS Director General Zulfiquar Hasan has issued a stern warning, stating, “We are confident of tracing all those behind these threat messages, and very strict action under the law will be taken against them.” Hasan assured travelers that all necessary precautions were being followed, emphasizing, “There is zero risk in flying.”
Stranded Passengers in Canada Reach Chicago
In an incident related to these threats, over 200 passengers on Air India’s Delhi-Chicago flight were stranded in Iqaluit, a remote Canadian town, after an emergency landing on Tuesday due to a bomb threat. The crew could not operate the flight out of the town due to flight duty time limitations, and Iqaluit lacked sufficient accommodations for the passengers and crew.
Canadian authorities arranged for a Royal Canadian Air Force Airbus A330 to transport the passengers to Chicago, leaving their checked-in baggage behind. “Passengers of AI 127 are on their way to Chicago,” Air India said in a statement on Wednesday. “We thank the Canadian authorities and Iqaluit airport for their support and assistance extended to passengers and Air India during this unexpected disruption.”
The Indian government is working towards creating a strong deterrent against those issuing hoax threats, and airlines are hopeful that the inclusion of such individuals on the no-fly list will bring relief to both passengers and operators.
