An Indigo flight, 6E 7308, bound for Hyderabad from Jabalpur, was diverted to Nagpur on Sunday, September 1, 2024, after a bomb threat was reported. Upon arrival at Nagpur Airport, all passengers were immediately disembarked and subjected to thorough security checks. Indigo confirmed that the flight diversion was a precautionary measure due to the threat.
This incident is part of a disturbing trend of hoax bomb threats targeting airports, hospitals, and other public places in India. In June 2024, a series of email bomb threats were sent to 41 airports across the country, including Jaipur, Chennai, and Varanasi. These threats, ultimately found to be false, led to extensive anti-sabotage procedures and significant disruptions to flight schedules. Similar threats were also reported against hospitals in Mumbai, with emails sent using virtual private networks (VPNs) to public email addresses.
The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) has proposed a five-year flying ban for individuals found guilty of making false bomb threats. The severity of these threats is underlined by the full emergency declared at Thiruvananthapuram airport on August 22, 2024, following a bomb threat against an Air India flight from Mumbai. While the threat turned out to be a hoax, the incident resulted in the evacuation of 135 passengers and highlighted the significant disruption caused by such threats.
In another instance, a 13-year-old boy was detained in June 2024 for allegedly sending a false bomb threat to Delhi Airport, claiming a bomb had been planted on a Dubai-bound flight. These incidents emphasize the need for robust security measures and swift investigations to deter individuals from perpetrating such acts and ensure the safety of passengers and the public.
