Bomb threats disrupt 70 flights in six days; Delhi Police seek help from social media

In a troubling surge of bomb threats this week, more than 70 domestic and international flights have reported security alerts, prompting Delhi Police to reach out to social media platforms like X for assistance in identifying the culprits behind these disturbing messages.

The situation escalated on Saturday when over 30 flights from various airlines, including Air India, Vistara, IndiGo, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, Star Air, and Alliance Air, received bomb threats, causing significant disruptions for passengers and airport operations. The police intensified their investigation following a specific threat to a Bengaluru-bound Akasa Air flight carrying 180 people, leading to the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) and an ongoing probe into similar cases reported at Indira Gandhi International (IGI) Airport this month.

A dedicated team, including the cyber cell of Delhi Police and the Intelligence Fusion & Strategic Operations (IFSO), is currently working on the investigation. Authorities suspect that the perpetrator may have used a Virtual Private Network (VPN) or dark web browser to create multiple accounts for posting the threatening messages. Police have requested social media platforms to suspend the accounts involved and to help track the IP addresses of those accounts.

The Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) held a meeting with airline CEOs and representatives to discuss the rising number of threats and to implement stricter regulations aimed at preventing future hoax bomb threats. The civil aviation ministry plans to introduce measures that include placing offenders on a no-fly list.

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