SpiceJet receives bomb threat on two flights; Delhi Police launches probe into hoax threats to over 10 planes

A SpiceJet spokesperson said on Wednesday that airline's X handle received a direct message indicating a bomb threat concerning two flights. "The concerned authorities were immediately informed and the laid down safety protocols were followed. Passengers on both aircraft disembarked safely," the statement read.

More than 10 flights have now received “bomb threats” in the past two days. Seven flights were either diverted or made “precautionary landing” after a bomb scare was issued by an X user. At four least flights, including two SpiceJet planes, received a similar threat on Wednesday.

Earlier on Wednesday, a Bengaluru-bound Akasa Air flight from Delhi was forced to return to Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi, following a bomb threat. A Mumbai-Delhi IndiGo flight was also redirected to Ahmedabad due to a security-related alert.

On Monday, three international flights originating from Mumbai received bomb threats. While a New York-bound Air India flight was diverted to New Delhi and rescheduled, the other two, both operated by IndiGo, were delayed by several hours.

On Tuesday, seven flights, including one bound for the United States, received bomb-threat messages through a social media handle on Tuesday, prompting security agencies to undertake specific counter-terrorist drills at various airports, official sources told news agency PTI.

The sources said an X handle issued threats on Tuesday to seven flights – an Air India Express flight from Jaipur to Bengaluru via Ayodhya (IX765), a SpiceJet flight from Darbhanga to Mumbai (SG116), an Akasa Air flight from Bagdogra to Bengaluru (QP 1373), an Air India flight from Delhi to Chicago (AI 127), an Indigo flight from Dammam (Saudi Arabia) to Lucknow (6E 98), an Alliance Air Amritsar-Dehradun-Delhi flight (9I 650) and an Air India Express flight (IX 684) from Madurai to Singapore.

Delhi Police registers FIR

The Delhi Police registered an FIR on Wednesday in connection with bomb threats to several domestic and international flights in the last two days and launched a probe into the matter, official sources told news agency PTI on Wednesday.

According to sources, an FIR has been registered at the IGI airport police station as different flights received the threats through a social media handle in the last two days. Police said the number of FIRs may increase.

Meanwhile, the issue of multiple hoax threats to various airlines came up before a parliamentary committee on Wednesday as the civil aviation secretary told parliamentarians that the accused are being identified and action will be taken against them.

Earlier, Mumbai Police served a notice to a teenage boy, his father, and another person from Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh asking them to join questioning in connection with bomb threats posted on social media targeting three flights, officials said on Tuesday.

(With inputs from PTI)