After 70 Bomb Threats, BCAS Holds Meeting With Airlines CEOs

After receiving a series of 70 bomb threats targeting flights operated by Indian airlines within just six days, on Saturday, the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) held a meeting with the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) of the airlines.

During the meeting at the Civil Aviation Ministry's office in Rajiv Gandhi Bhawan, BCAS officials directed the CEOs to follow the standard operating procedures (SOP) for handling bomb threats. They emphasised the need to keep all stakeholders informed about the threats and the response measures being taken, IANS reported.

As the agency reports, the BCAS and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) are set to issue new guidelines for airlines on how to handle bomb threats.

As per the reports, on Saturday more than 30 bomb threats were made against flights operated by various airlines.

Investigations have shown that some IP addresses associated with these threats originated from locations including London, Germany, Canada, and the US, according to sources. However, officials did not dismiss the possibility that those responsible may have used VPNs (virtual private networks) to hide their actual locations.

On Saturday, Vistara announced that it received security threats via social media for five of its international flights. Similarly, around four IndiGo flights faced security-related alerts. Other affected airlines include Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, Star Air, and Alliance Air.