The Indian government has introduced a critical amendment to the Aircraft Security Rules in response to a troubling surge in hoax bomb threats that have caused significant disruptions in the country’s aviation sector. This legal update comes after a series of bomb hoaxes targeted Indian airlines, especially in November 2024, forcing flight diversions, delays, and in some cases, the deployment of fighter jets to escort affected planes during their landings.
Between August 2022 and November 2024, Indian domestic airlines received over 1,100 hoax bomb threats. Of these, 994 were reported just this year, marking a sharp rise in such incidents. This trend has led the government to revise the laws governing aviation security, ensuring that offenders who make hoax bomb threats face stricter penalties, including being placed on a no-fly list. The changes are designed to address the loopholes in the existing laws, which were primarily concerned with in-flight safety and did not fully cover incidents on the ground or at airports. As part of the new measures, anyone found guilty of making a hoax bomb threat could be deboarded from the flight and will face severe legal action. The amendments also align these threats with other high-level aviation security violations, such as attempting to hijack an aircraft or introducing explosives on board. The government’s focus is not only on penalizing offenders but also on preventing the disruptions caused by these hoaxes, which have led to significant delays, logistical chaos, and a financial burden on airlines.
Civil aviation minister Ram Mohan Naidu emphasized the need for comprehensive action, stating that it was necessary to extend aviation security laws to cover both the ground and airport areas. The amendment also responds to the increasing use of social media by anonymous individuals to issue bomb threats, often followed by the deletion of posts. The government is working to address this growing pattern, where flight numbers are often included in these threats, making them seem legitimate. The revised procedure for dealing with bomb threats has also been adjusted. Previously, any threat involving a flight number was automatically treated as a specific threat, which led to unnecessary diversions.
Now, once a threat is proven to be a hoax, any subsequent threats from the same source will not result in diversions, thus minimizing financial losses and passenger inconvenience. If a threat is deemed serious, the airport will activate its emergency response systems, including bomb disposal teams, sniffer dogs, and evacuation protocols. This new amendment is a critical step in safeguarding India’s aviation sector from the disruption caused by hoax bomb threats. By strengthening penalties and updating threat response protocols, the government aims to ensure safer skies and smoother travel experiences for passengers across the country.
