Bomb scare for flights: Bengaluru-bound Akasa flight returns to Delhi after security threat

New Delhi: Triggering further panic in the security establishment, seven flights of IndiGo, SpiceJet and Akasa Air received bomb threats on Wednesday though all of them were found to be hoaxes, taking the total number of such incidents to 19 in the past three days.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu strongly condemned the "disruptive acts targeting Indian airlines" and said the authorities were closely monitoring the situation and ensuring that every necessary measures are taken against such actions.

"Such mischievous and unlawful actions are a matter of grave concern," he said, adding that the government is committed to enhancing security measures and maintaining seamless coordination with global security agencies.

The series of messages threatening to target flights in the past two days has prompted the Delhi Police to register a case and initiate an investigation into the series of incidents besides police forces in other states, including Maharashtra.

Civil Aviation Secretary Vumlunmang Vualnam told the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture that the accused involved in the threat messages are being identified.

However, he said he could not share more details due to the sensitivity involved in the ongoing probe. Officials said government is exploring possibilities of putting people who are issuing such threats on a no-fly list

Services of four Indigo flights, two SpiceJet flights and one Akasa Air flight were impacted on Wednesday while one flight each of Vistara and Air India Express on Tuesday late night.

The IndiGo flights that were affected included Riyadh-Mumbai flight, which was diverted to Muscat (Oman), a Mumbai to Singapore that landed at the destination, Chennai to Lucknow flight and a Delhi-Mumbai flight diverted to Ahmedabad.

"The aircraft was isolated, and all passengers were safely disembarked. Ensuring the safety and security of our customers and crew remains paramount in all facets of our operations... We worked closely with the relevant authorities, and standard operating procedures were followed," IndiGo said in a statement.

Akasa Air said its flight QP 1335 was flying from Delhi to Bengaluru when the bomb threat was received following which the airline's Emergency Response Teams advised the pilot to return to the Indira Gandhi International Airport in the national capital.

There were 174 passengers, 3 infants and 7 crew members on board and the plane landed safely at the airport. An emergency was declared at the airport as per protocol for the aircraft after the bomb threat.

Two flights of SpiceJet -- Leh-Delhi and Darbangha-Mumbai -- also received bomb threats during the day.

A Vistara flight from Delhi to Hong Kong received a security threat through social media on Tuesday night while an Air India Express flight from Kochi to Dubai also received a threat.