12 bomb threats to airlines in 48 hrs paralyse operations; ‘X’ handle under scrutiny

A series of bomb threats to flights operated by different airlines over the past two days, has prompted authorities to put heightened security measures in place across the country’s airports. The threats continued on Wednesday (October 16) with the targets being a Bengaluru-bound Akasa Air service flight departing from Delhi and an IndiGo flight bound for Delhi from Mumbai, raising the total number of warnings to 12 in just 48 hours.

The Akasa Air flight, QP 1335, carrying 177 passengers, including infants and crew, returned to Delhi after the alert, while the IndiGo flight, 6E 651, was diverted to Ahmedabad. IndiGo confirmed that all passengers were safely disembarked after the aircraft was isolated for security checks.

Hoax threats disrupt domestic, international flights

The wave of threats began on Monday (October 14), affecting several domestic and international flights, including an Air India flight from Mumbai to New York and multiple IndiGo flights. Although no bombs were found, the repeated hoax calls have disrupted operations and raised concerns about airline safety.

Also Read: Hoax bomb threats continue; Mumbai-Delhi IndiGo flight diverted to Ahmedabad

A parliamentary standing committee was convened on Wednesday morning to address the issue. Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu also held discussions with officials from the ministry and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA). Sources said that some individuals have been identified as potential culprits, and authorities are monitoring the dark web for further leads.

Multiple flights receive threats

Multiple flights received bomb threats on Tuesday, including an Air India flight from Delhi to Chicago, an IndiGo flight from Dammam to Lucknow, and an Air India Express service from Ayodhya to Bengaluru. Other affected flights included SpiceJet's SG116 (Darbhanga to Mumbai), Akasa Air's QP 1373 (Bagdogra to Bengaluru), Alliance Air's 9I 650 (Amritsar to Dehradun and Delhi), and Air India Express's IX 684 (Madurai to Singapore). Security measures were promptly taken – some flights were diverted while others continued operations under precautionary protocols.

In one instance, SpiceJet’s SG 116 flight from Darbhanga to Mumbai received a bomb threat via X, formerly Twitter, while approaching its destination. The plane landed safely and was immediately directed to an isolation bay, with passengers disembarking as security agencies carried out thorough checks. The aircraft was later cleared for further operations.

Also Read: Singapore fighter jets, Canada landing: Plight of 7 flights after hoax bomb threats

This wave of hoax threats follows a similar incident last month when a Vistara flight from Mumbai to Frankfurt was diverted to Turkey due to a bomb scare, leaving passengers stranded for nearly 24 hours.

X account under scrutiny

All the bomb threats targeting airlines over the past two days originated from the same social media account — @schizobomber777 — on the platform X. According to sources, security agencies are now investigating the account to uncover the individual or group responsible. The account, which was recently created, appears to have been set up specifically to issue bomb threats, according to an airline source.

Authorities are working to trace its origins and prevent further disruptions.