Delhi Police have reached out to social media platforms, including X (formerly Twitter), to gather information about the accounts responsible for the posts of fake bomb threats disrupting domestic and international flights. The move comes after an FIR was registered concerning a bomb threat targeting an Akasa Air flight bound for Bengaluru, which had 180 passengers on board.
Following the registration of the FIR, police have intensified their investigation into this incident and several others reported at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport over the past month. A specialized team, including the cyber cell and Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO), has been formed to handle the probe. Authorities suspect that the individual behind these threats may have used a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or dark web tools to create multiple accounts and issue the threats.
Delhi Police have requested that social media platforms suspend the accounts linked to these threats and remove the posts. “We suspect the use of VPN or dark web browsers to create the accounts from which the threats were posted,” an officer told PTI, adding that they have also requested the platforms to provide IP addresses to aid their investigation.
Surge in Bomb Threats
This week alone, over 70 flights, both domestic and international, have been subject to bomb threats, most of which have proven to be hoaxes. The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) held an emergency meeting with airline CEOs and representatives to address the surge in threats, which has caused widespread disruption at airports across India.
On Saturday, the situation escalated further when more than 30 flights operated by major airlines, including Air India, Vistara, IndiGo, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, Star Air, and Alliance Air, received bomb threats. These incidents triggered heightened security measures, resulting in delayed flights, inconvenienced passengers, and aircraft being moved to isolation bays to follow safety protocols.
As the frequency of these threats increases, the civil aviation ministry is considering stricter measures, including placing those responsible for hoax threats on a no-fly list, to prevent further disruptions.
