How hoax bomb threats are causing global flight chaos

Indian airlines have been targeted with more than 100 hoax bomb threats in the last week, affecting the global aviation network both across the country and beyond its shores.

The threats, mostly made via the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), have caused some flights to turn around mid-air and others to make emergency diversions, including a Vistara flight from Delhi to Heathrow which landed in Frankfurt on Saturday.

An Air India flight from Mumbai to Heathrow was also affected by a bomb threat on October 17, with two RAF jets scrambled to assist the aircraft after it sent out emergency signals above East Anglia. The aircraft landed safely at Heathrow.

“Indian skies are absolutely safe. The current protocol (to deal with the situation) is robust and is being strictly followed. We reassure passengers that they should fly without any fear and in fact, fly even more,” said Zulfiqar Hasan, the director general of the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security.

However, the disruption has continued and there were a number of further hoax bomb threats on Monday October 21. What is going on, and how is it affecting global aviation?

How many flights have been affected?

The threats began on Monday October 14, primarily on social media, and continued throughout the week. The following day, an Air India plane from Mumbai to Chicago was forced to land in the remote city of Iqaluitin in Canada, where passengers remained for 18 hours before the Canadian Air Force flew them out.

One passenger wrote on X: “The bad news is there was a bomb threat on an Air India flight and an emergency landing. So our plane is delayed. The good news is everyone is OK, they brought in a wonderful Inuit accordion player to help everyone’s spirits, and we are an extra few hours in wonderful Iqaluit.”

In total there have been more than 100 hoax bomb threats over the past week. Regulations mean airlines must act on every individual threat, meaning many flights have had to make emergency landings in countries including Turkey and Germany, or return to their airport of origin.

There were more than 30 bomb threats made on Saturday alone, the most on any single day since the threats began, including five IndiGo flights, five Akasa flights, three Vistara flights and one affecting Air India. Other Indian airlines targeted by the threats include Spicejet, Alliance Air and Star Air.

The scenarios differ according to where the aircraft is when the alert is made. One Vistara flight from Delhi to Frankfurt was asked to turn around after Afghanistan air traffic control denied it permission to fly in its airspace due to an active bomb threat. Another, from Chennai to Lucknow, had to be isolated upon landing in India. One from Riyadh to Mumbai was diverted to Muscat, Oman, and fighter jets were dispatched in Singapore due to another fake bomb threat.

There have been similar bomb hoaxes this year. In June, 41 Indian airports received threats in a single day, sent via email, prompting heightened security across the country.

“I am deeply concerned over the recent disruptive acts targeting Indian airlines, affecting domestic and international operations. Such mischievous and unlawful actions are a matter of grave concern. I condemn attempts to compromise safety, security and operational integrity of our aviation sector,” said India’s federal aviation minister, Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu.

Who is responsible?

The Indian daily newspaper Indian Express reported that a single social media account was responsible for at least 45 of the bomb threats. This account has now been suspended by X.

The social media account posted an identical message, targeted at specific airlines, threatening that a bomb had been placed on five of their planes with specific flight numbers listed.

It can be challenging for authorities to detect the perpetrators of such threats, as they are often posted on new accounts using virtual private networks (VPNs), or via the dark web.

“VPNs have been used to post the messages to avoid being traced. We’re analysing the pattern, and investigation agencies are coordinating to locate the sources of threats,” an aviation security official told the Hindustan Times.

It is understood that India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Ministry of Home Affairs are working to update legislation to put the perpetrators of fake bomb threats onto a no-fly list, and the Indian government is discussing new legislation to allow for stricter punishments for culprits of hoax bomb threats.

How is this affecting global aviation?

Most of the bomb threats in the last week have been targeted at Indian airlines, but many of these flights have been en route to an international airport, so the impact has reached far beyond India’s airspace.

Non-Indian airlines like American Airlines, JetBlue and Air New Zealand have also received similar threats in the past week.

What is the cost of a bomb hoax, per airline?

An Air India flight from Mumbai to New York City was rerouted to Delhi to be searched for explosives. In order to land safely, the plane dumped close to 100 tonnes of jet fuel, costing somewhere in the region of 10 million Rupees (£91,210) according to The Times of India. With everything factored in, including accommodation for passengers, the diversion, the grounding of the aircraft and crew replacements, it is estimated that the event cost the airline more than 30 million Rupees (£273,000). With more than 100 flights affected by hoax bomb threats in the last week, the total cost on global aviation will rack up to many millions of pounds.

What is the protocol during a bomb threat?

In India, every airport has a Bomb Threat Assessment Committee, which convenes in the event of threat to assess the gravity and legitimacy of the message and to take next steps accordingly.

If the aircraft is still on the ground, the plane will be moved to a secluded bay and passengers will be off-loaded and screened again, along with their luggage and any cargo on the plane. Security staff will conduct a search of the plane before it is cleared for flying.

If a plane is mid-air, the next steps will be a coordinated decision made by the Indian safety agencies, international air traffic control agencies and security agencies. This could mean the aircraft is diverted to the nearest airport, or turned around to return to the airport that it took off from, depending on how far the plane has travelled.