Air India, IndiGo: How bomb hoaxes are giving a bad name to India airlines

Journey schedules, diverting flights, and causing unprecedented disruptions is the result of a serious and extraordinary rise in hoax bomb threats aimed at Indian flights.

A picture that was posted on social media last week showed passengers decked out in wool as they flew down the snowy ladder of an Air India plane into Iqaluit, a remote Canadian city, into the icy air.

The 211 people on the Boeing 777, actually en route from Mumbai to Chicago, had been diverted first on 15 October due to a weapon risk.

” We have been stuck at the airport since 5am with 200 passengers … We have no idea what’s happening or what we are supposed to do next … We are completely stranded”, Harit Sachdeva, a passenger, posted on social media. He praised the “kind aircraft workers” and claimed that Air India was underreporting to the people insufficient amounts.

Mr Sachdeva’s article captured the frustration and anxiety of people diverted to an unidentified, secluded location. A Canadian Air Force aircraft later put an end to their suffering by taking the stranded people to Chicago. Air India confirmed that a” security threat posted website” had caused the flight to be diverted to Iqaluit.

The threat was false, mirroring scores of similar hoaxes targeting India’s airlines so far this year. Last week alone, there were at least 30 threats, resulting in diversions, cancellations and delays. In June, 41 airports received hoax bomb threats via email in a single day, prompting heightened security.

For context, between 2014 and 2017, authorities recorded 120 bomb hoax alerts at airports, with nearly half directed at Delhi and Mumbai, the country’s largest airports. This underscores the recurring nature of such threats in recent years, but this year’s surge has been sensational.

” The new disruptive functions that have been carried out on American airlines have had a significant impact on both domestic and international operations. Like mischievous and unlawful behavior is deeply concerning. I condemn attempts to deal safety, security and functional dignity of our aircraft industry”, national aviation minister, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, said.

What’s going on then, exactly?

Hoax bomb threats targeting airlines are often linked to malicious intent, attention-seeking, mental health issues, disruption of business operations or a prank, experts say. In 2018, a rash of jokes about bombs by airplane passengers in Indonesia led to flight disruptions. Even fliers have proved to be culprits: last year, a frustrated passenger tried to delay a SpiceJet flight by calling in a bomb hoax alert after missing his check-in at an airport in India’s Bihar.

These lies end up wreaking devastation in one of the country’s fastest-growing aircraft areas. According to the civil aircraft department, more than 150 million people flew internally in India next year. More than 3, 000 airlines arrive and depart every day in the region from more than 150 operating flights, including 33 international flights.

Last week’s hoaxes peaked even as India’s airlines carried a record 484,263 passengers on a single day, 14 October. India has just under 700 commercial passenger planes in service, and an order backlog of more than 1,700 planes, according to Rob Morris of Cirium, a consultancy. “All this would certainly render India the fastest growing commercial aircraft market today,” says Mr Morris.

Consider the effects of an airline’s bomb threat update.

If the plane is in the air, it must divert to the nearest airport – like the Air India flight that diverted last week to Canada or a Frankfurt-bound Vistara flight from Mumbai that diverted to Turkey in September. Some involve fighter jets to be scrambled to escort planes reporting threats like it happened with a Heathrow-bound Air India flight over Norfolk and a Singapore-bound Air India Express last week.

Once on the floor, people disembark, and all baggage and goods and food undergo detailed searches. This procedure may take several hours, and frequently the same crew may continue to fly because of duty hour restrictions. As a result, a substitute team must be arranged, more prolonging the delay.

” All of this has significant value and system implications. Every diverted or delayed trip incurs considerable expenses, as grounded aircraft become money-losing resources. Difficulties lead to delays, and schedule are thrown off balance”. says Sidharath Kapur, an impartial aircraft specialist.

Bomb threat detection efforts on social media have been hampered by the dramatic increase in private accounts ‘ posts, especially when messages are sent directly to airlines. The intentions remain vague, as does whether the challenges come from a single person, a party, or are simply copycat works.

A 17-year-old college student was detained last week by Indian officials for creating a social media account where he made threats. His intentions remain vague, but he is believed to possess targeted four flights- three worldwide- resulting in two delays, one distraction and one withdrawal. After tracing IP addresses, investigators believe some comments may have come from Germany and London.

Clearly, tracking down hoaxers presents a significant challenge. While Indian law mandates life imprisonment for threats to airport safety or service disruption, this punishment is too severe for hoax calls and would likely not withstand legal scrutiny. Reports suggest the government is considering placing offenders on a no-fly list and introducing new laws that could impose a five-year prison term.

Unfortunately, like hoax threats may cause severe anxiety for passengers. ” My uncle called to ask if, given these challenges, she should take her hired flight.” May I take a teach?’ she asked. I told her,’ Please continue to fly ‘”, says an aircraft expert, who preferred to remain unknown. The challenges continue to stifle people and cause anxiety.

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