India’s air travel is being disrupted by an increase in hoax bomb threats, with 999 incidents reported in 2024

This year, 999 false bomb threats have been made against Indian airlines and airports, resulting in several flight delays due to the sharp increase. 

According to Deputy Civil Aviation Minister Murlidhar Mohol, the number of false bomb threats in India’s civil aviation industry has skyrocketed, with 999 cases registered as of November 14—nearly 10 times as many as in 2023.

Flight schedules have been severely disrupted by the rise in threats, particularly during the last two weeks of October when more than 500 hoaxes were reported.

Despite being untrue, these threats have had a major effect on airport operations in India, causing many planes to be delayed or diverted. International aircraft were among those impacted, such as an Air India Express flight that was escorted by Singapore’s Air Force and another Air India flight that was rerouted from New Delhi to Chicago via a distant airstrip in Canada.

No real bomb threats were found despite the extensive disturbance, and police were able to eliminate the hoaxes without any significant problems. In relation to the threats, police have filed 256 complaints and taken 12 people into custody. Nonetheless, the sharp spike in hoaxes coincides with an unparalleled surge in bomb threats, which the nation’s airports are currently dealing with.

Only 120 bomb fake alarms were reported to Indian authorities between 2014 and 2017, with over half of those signals being sent to the airports in Delhi and Mumbai. The quantity of hoaxe threats this year, on the other hand, points to a rising tendency that might affect both local and international aviation traffic.

According to India’s civil aviation ministry, every effort is being made to ensure flight safety and reduce the inconvenience these threats create. In order to coordinate the reaction to such situations, the nation’s airports have established a Bomb Threat Assessment Committee. This committee includes sniffer dogs, medical staff, and bomb disposal teams, among other measures. However, the delays can be expensive, resulting in large financial losses for security services and airlines.

With more than 150 million people traveling domestically last year and more than 3,000 flights leaving or arriving daily across more than 150 airports, India’s aviation industry is still among the busiest in the world.