Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu. - Photo: ANI
NEW DELHI: The Delhi police have registered at least six First Information Reports (FIRs) related in connection with bomb threats received by multiple airline companies in the last couple of days.
According to a police official, these threats were aimed at both domestic and international flights scheduled to fly to different states and countries.
Early on Wednesday (Oct 16), the Ministry of Home Affairs sought a report from the Ministry of Civil Aviation on a series of bomb threats to various airlines across the country.
In the last 48 hours, at least 13 bomb threats have been received by various airlines on domestic and international routes but all turned out to be hoax calls.
Meanwhile, SpiceJet received a direct message on the social media platform X claiming a bomb threat concerning two of its flights.
“The authorities were immediately informed and the laid down safety protocols were followed. Passengers on both aircraft disembarked safely and after receiving the necessary approvals from the concerned authorities the aircraft were released for further operations,” said a SpiceJet spokesperson.
Earlier in the day, an Akasa Air flight bound for Bengaluru made an emergency landing at the Indira Gandhi International Airport after it received a security alert related to a bomb in the flight.
The aircraft was parked in an isolation bay but the police found nothing suspicious in the aircraft.
Separately, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu Kinjarapu, on Wednesday (Oct 16), expressed concern over the recent mischievous acts of issuing threats to Indian flights and said he is monitoring the situation regularly while law enforcement agencies are pursuing all the cases actively.
The minister strongly condemned the threats to Indian carriers and added that the Mumbai Police apprehended a minor who had issued hoax bomb threats regarding three flights.
He said those found responsible for such disruptions would be identified and prosecuted while asserting that the safety and security of passengers is the utmost priority.
The Union minister assured all the stakeholders, including passengers and industry partners, that every possible effort is being made to safeguard the operations, and the government is committed to enhancing security measures and maintaining seamless coordination with global security agencies.
Kinjarapu further said that he had chaired a high-level committee on October 14 comprising officials from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), the Ministry of Home Affairs, and the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
The minister warned against any attempts to compromise with the safety, security, and operational integrity of the country’s aviation sector. - The Statesman/ANN
