IndiGo, Akasa Air receive bomb threats; prompts aviation ministry's attention
A Bengaluru-bound Akasa Air flight QP 1335 from Delhi, with 184 passengers on board, was diverted to Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi following a security alert on Wednesday. An airline spokesperson said that "the captain is following all required emergency procedures for a safe landing in Delhi." Separately, an IndiGo Flight 6E 651 from Mumbai to Delhi was also diverted due to a security-related alert. The aircraft was isolated and all passengers were safely disembarked.
Recent bomb threats disrupt Indian aviation
These incidents are just a part of a larger pattern of threats disrupting the Indian aviation sector. On Monday, an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Muscat received a bomb threat before takeoff, and an Air India flight from Mumbai to New York was diverted to Delhi following a similar threat. The next day, an Air India plane en route from Delhi to Chicago was diverted to Canada due to another bomb threat.
Recent bomb threats disrupt Indian aviation
Overall, 12 flights have been diverted in the past 72 hours alone over bomb threats. In wake of these incidents, the civil aviation ministry held a high-level meeting on Wednesday to discuss these recurring security concerns in the aviation industry. ANI reported that the central government has decided to double the number of sky marshals on flights originating from airports across the country.
Centre to double deployment of Air Marshals
"The fresh batch of Air Narshals will be deployed on new international routes added in sensitive category based on intelligence report," an officer said. A unit of the National Security Guard (NSG) specializing in anti-terror and anti-hijacking measures serves as air marshals on primarily international routes and a few sensitive domestic routes. Sky Marshals are armed plainclothes security officers that travel in passenger planes.
