Last update:October 27, 2024, 7:10 p.m. IST

In 14 days, more than 350 flights operated by Indian companies were the subject of false bomb threats. Most of the threats were made via social media.

Several flights of IndiGo, Air India and Akasa Airlines were disrupted after a bomb threat. (Representative image)

At least 50 flights operated by Indian airlines were the subject of bomb threats and two of them were diverted on Sunday, according to sources.

In 14 days, more than 350 flights operated by Indian companies were the subject of false bomb threats. Most of the threats were made via social media.

Akasa Air said on Sunday that 15 of its flights had received safety alerts and after thorough inspections, all planes had been released for operations.

The informed sources said IndiGo received threats for 18 flights and Vistara for 17 flights.

At least two IndiGo flights were diverted following threats. Its flight 6E 133 (Pune to Jodhpur) was diverted to Ahmedabad and 6E 87 (Kozhikode to Dammam) was diverted to Mumbai, an official said.

According to an IndiGo statement, the flights which received safety alerts include 6E 11 (Delhi-Istanbul), 6E 92 (Jeddah-Mumbai), 6E 112 (Goa-Ahmedabad), 6E 125 (Bengaluru-Jharsuguda) , 6E 127 (Amritsar-Ahmedabad) and 6E 135 (Calcutta-Pune).

Among others, 6E 149 (Hyderabad to Bagdogra), 6E 173 (Delhi to Bengaluru), 6E 175 (Bengaluru to Delhi), 6E 197 (Raipur to Hyderabad), 6E 248 (Mumbai to Kolkata), 6E 277 (Ahmedabad-Lucknow) , 6E 312 (Bengaluru to Kolkata), 6E 235 (Calcutta-Bengaluru) and 6E 74 (Riyadh-Mumbai).

Union Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu on Sunday said the Center was mulling measures to ban bombers, who resort to fake bomb threats, from flying.

The minister also said that apart from having the support of international agencies, law enforcement agencies and the Intelligence Bureau to prevent such false threats, the unity government was also considering amending two civil aviation laws .

Amid a wave of bomb threats against airlines, the IT Ministry has asked social media platforms to comply with their due diligence obligations and promptly remove or disable access to the disinformation within the strict time limits prescribed by IT rules.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)