Sun Oct 20 18:59:51 UTC 2024: On October 20, a series of hoax bomb threats affected over 20 flights operated by IndiGo, Akasa Air, and Vistara. Key points from the incident include:

– **IndiGo’s Response**: The airline confirmed receiving bomb threats for flights 6E 112 (Goa to Ahmedabad), 6E 133 (Pune to Jodhpur), and 6E 58 (Jeddah to Mumbai). IndiGo stressed that passenger safety is their highest priority and they are coordinating with authorities.

– **Vistara’s Affected Flights**: Vistara reported threats for six flights, including international routes from Delhi to Frankfurt and Singapore. Security protocols were promptly enacted.

– **Akasa Air’s Precautions**: The airline acknowledged security alerts for its flights and mentioned that emergency response teams are actively monitoring the situation in collaboration with local authorities.

– **Air India**: Reports indicated that at least six Air India flights also received threats, but there was no official comment from the airline at the time.

– **Context of Threats**: This surge in hoax threats followed a meeting on October 19 between the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) and airline executives, after multiple flights received at least 70 hoax bomb threats over the previous week.

– **Impact on Passengers**: Passengers experienced delays and disruptions as affected flights were moved to isolation bays to ensure security protocols were followed.

– **Government Action**: The civil aviation ministry is considering stricter regulations to manage these incidents, including the potential inclusion of offenders in a no-fly list.

– **Additional Threats**: Karnataka’s Sambra Airport received a bomb threat via email related to a flight from Chennai to Belagavi, prompting a police investigation.

Overall, more than 90 flights have faced threats this week, most of which have been determined to be hoaxes.

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