Government data showed that domestic airlines received 1,143 fake bomb threats between August 2022 and November 13, of which 994 were received this year.
Replying to MP Kartikeya Sharma in Parliament, Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol on Wednesday said, “27 fake bomb threats were received between August and December 2022. The number rose to 122 in 2023, while the current year itself saw a sharp increase, with 994 calls reported till mid-November 2024.”
He also clarified that the fake threats received recently were not from any specific location, but from random stations.
In a separate reply to MP John Brittas, Mohol said that fake bomb threats adversely affect the operation of some flights. Mohol also mentioned the steps and action taken by the authorities in this regard. He said,
The aviation security regulator in the country, Bureau of Civil Aviation Security, has mandated robust protocols to deal with such threats. Bomb Threat Contingency Plan (BTCP), is a detailed contingency plan to deal with such threats. As a part of BTCP, each airport has a designated Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) which analyses the threat and acts accordingly. He said.
To deal with false bomb threats, BCAS has issued advisories to all civil aviation stakeholders in the country to ensure well-organised security measures and prevent any unlawful interference in civil aviation.”
IndiGo flights get most hoax calls
IndiGo flights received the highest number of fake calls According to government data, 680 fake calls were received in October, of which IndiGo (197 fake calls) received the highest number, followed by Air India (191), Vistara (151), Akasa Air (67) and SpiceJet (29). The government is considering amendments to the Aircraft Act, 1934.
Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu, while responding to MP Sikander Kumar said that while the government currently has no rules, there is no legal provision for dealing specifically to prevent hoax threat to aircraft; an amendment in Aircraft Act, 1934 is under consideration in the government.
According to Section 3(1)(d) of the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Civil Aviation Safety Act, 1982, if any person communicates any information, which he knows to be false, which endangers the safety of an aircraft during flight, then such person shall be punished with imprisonment for life and also with fine. Amendments to the said Act and the Aircraft (Safety) Rules, 2023 are being considered to make it more comprehensive in line with the emerging threats, he said.
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