Govt says 13 people arrested for hoax bomb threats to airlines in 2024

New Delhi: The Government on Monday said 13 people were arrested in 2024 in connection with hoax bomb threats to airlines. Last year, a total of 728 bomb threats were received by airlines and of them, 714 were received by domestic carriers, according to data shared by the civil aviation ministry in the Rajya Sabha.

Citing data from the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS), Minister of State for Civil Aviation Murlidhar Mohol said 728 hoax bomb threats were received by airline operators in 2024.

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Among the Indian airlines, IndiGo received the highest number of bomb threats at 216, followed by Air India (179), Vistara (153), Akasa Air (72), SpiceJet (35), Alliance Air (26), Air India Express (19), and Star Air (14).

The total figure includes 14 bomb threats received by foreign carriers. Emirates and Air Arabia received five and three such threats, respectively, last year while one threat each was received by Aeroflot, Air Canada, Cathay Pacific, Etihad, Nok Air, and Thai Lion Air, as per the data.

"Total 13 persons have been arrested in 2024 in connection with hoax bomb threats," he said in a written reply.

BCAS has mandated robust protocols for handling such threats and as part of the Bomb Threat Contingency Plan (BTCP), every airport has a designated Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) that analyses the threat and act accordingly.

"In order to deal with hoax bomb threats, BCAS has issued advisories to all the civil aviation stakeholders in the country to ensure streamlined security measures and to prevent any unlawful interference with civil aviation," the minister said.

He was responding to queries from member Parimal Nathwani.

In a separate written reply, Mohol mentioned the Union Cabinet, January 16, approved introduction of the Protection of Interests in Aircraft Objects Bill, 2025.

The bill is intended to provide for protection of interests in aircraft objects and to implement the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment and the Protocol to the Convention on International Interests in Mobile Equipment on Matters Specific to Aircraft Equipment. They were signed in Cape Town on November 16, 2001.

"This bill implements the Cape Town Treaty by statutorily recognising the insolvency remedies as acceded to by India to protect interests in aircraft objects," the minister said in response to questions from member Sikander Kumar.

The legislation intends to have provisions for Irrevocable De-registration and Export Request Authorisation and the obligations of debtors and creditors towards the Registry Authority (the Directorate General of Civil Aviation) for submission of dues and exercising remedies in cases of debtor insolvency, respectively.

According to the minister, the bill aims to take precedence over any inconsistent domestic laws and empowers the DGCA to issue necessary directions for implementing the Cape Town Treaty's provisions.

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