“Ministry taking it very seriously” says Union Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Naidu on series of hoax bomb calls to airlines

Varanasi: Union Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu said on Sunday that the ministry is thoroughly pursuing the issue of hoax bomb threats and that police have been probing to find out who is responsible for such incidents.

Speaking on the same, Minister Naidu told ANI, “There are continuous that have been observed in the last week especially. So the ministry, we are thoroughly pursuing these issues, especially in terms of the cases that have also been registered and the police have been pursuing who is behind it.”

“From the ministry side, we are looking at a change in legislation and some rules, ” Mohan Naidu. When asked about the reason behind such hoax calls, the Civil Aviation Minister said, “It is very difficult to tell at this point. The police have to do the due diligence, they have to catch the perpetrators who are behind this issue. Once, we get to them, then it is easier for us to tell why they are doing it. What is the reason behind it.”

“It seems to be that only one person gets onto Twitter (X) and he tweets about many different planes and then it creates chaos in the whole system,” Mohan Naidu added.

He said they are in the process of employing intelligence and other important people from Home Affairs to avoid the recurrence of such incidents.

“We are trying to use intelligence, IB and all the other important people who are there in this, especially home affairs and all, everyone is cooperating. We are taking it very seriously and we want to ensure that these kinds of incidents do not happen,” Mohan Naidu added.

“…If we get to know who does it, he faces a strong punishment, ” Mohan Naidu added. The development comes after Vistara and Akasa Air received security threats on twelve flights — six for each airline — operating on Sunday, prompting the airlines to activate their emergency protocols.

Officials confirmed that both airlines responded swiftly to ensure the safety and security of passengers and crew.
According to a Vistara spokesperson, the flights that received threats included Flight UK25 (Delhi to Frankfurt), Flight UK106 (Singapore to Mumbai), Flight UK146 (Bali to Delhi), Flight UK116 (Singapore to Delhi), Flight UK110 (Singapore to Pune), and Flight UK107 (Mumbai to Singapore).

“We confirm receiving security threats on social media for six Vistara flights operating on October 20, 2024,” the spokesperson said. He further noted that after receiving the threats, all relevant authorities were immediately notified, and security procedures, as directed by them, were carried out.

“In line with the protocols, all relevant authorities were immediately notified, and security procedures, as directed by them, are being carried out. As always, the safety and security of our customers, crew, and aircraft remain our top priority,” the Vistara Spokesperson added.

Meanwhile, the Akasa Air flights that received security alerts included QP 1102 flying from Ahmedabad to Mumbai, QP 1378 flying from Delhi to Goa, QP 1385 flying from Mumbai to Bagdogra, QP 1406 flying from Delhi to Hyderabad, QP 1519 flying from Kochi to Mumbai, and QP 1526 flying from Lucknow to Mumbai.

In a statement, an Akasa Air spokesperson confirmed that the emergency response team was activated immediately upon receiving the alerts.

“The Akasa Air Emergency Response team was immediately activated and initiated all standard operating procedures, including informing regulatory authorities and monitoring the situation in real time. Captains and crew members of respective flights followed the required emergency procedures, and prescribed safety and security protocols in coordination with the local authorities,” the Spokesperson said.

“The Airport Services teams at all impacted airports coordinated with local authorities to ensure efficient handling of the situation. Refreshments and passenger needs were addressed as required. Following defined procedures and thorough inspections of six aircraft, they have been released for operations,” he added.