In the latest aviation news, Indian airlines have experienced a troubling trend of nearly 1,000 bomb hoaxes in 2024, with over 600 false threats reported in October alone. According to the country’s deputy civil aviation minister Murlidhar Mohol, there has been a significant increase in bomb threats compared to previous years. Mohol revealed to Pilotcenter.net News, "As many as 27 hoax bomb threat calls were received between August and December 2022. The number increased to 122 in 2023, while the current year alone witnessed a sharp rise, with 994 calls reported as of mid-November 2024."

Despite the alarming number of hoaxes, authorities have not found any genuine threats at airports or on aircraft resulting from these incidents. Major airlines like Air India, IndiGo, Vistara, and Akasa have been the primary targets of these false alarms.

During October 2024, IndiGo received the highest number of bomb threats at 162, followed by Air India at 154, Vistara at 150, Akasa at 67, SpiceJet at 28, Alliance Air at 24, and other airlines at 29. An unsettling incident involved an Air India flight from Mumbai to New York being diverted to Delhi due to a bomb threat shared on social media.

In another concerning event back in August 2024, an Air India flight had to declare an emergency after a bomb threat note was discovered in the aircraft’s lavatory on a journey from Mumbai to Trivandrum. Similarly, in June 2024, an IndiGo Airlines flight safely landed following an anonymous call regarding a bomb threat onboard during a domestic route from Chennai to Mumbai.

These occurrences highlight the severity of the situation and the need for heightened security measures within the Indian aviation industry to ensure the safety of passengers and crew members. Stay tuned to Pilotcenter.net News for updates on this evolving situation.