India: 30 hoax bomb threats received by airlines

Ten were received by multiple airlines on Saturday. Five hoax bomb threats were received by Spice jet. Five more were received by Air Asia.

Multiple airlines have received a total of 30 bomb threats in the last few days. An airline, Star Air, moved its aircraft to an isolation bay after a bomb threat. Passengers were allowed to proceed to the terminal after a full security check.

An Indigo flight, operating from Hyderabad to Chandigarh, also received a hoax bomb threat. A statement released by IndiGo said that all the passengers were safely evacuated.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA) is in talks with the other concerned ministries to make required amendments in the existing laws to make them more stringent to deal with the cases of hoax bomb threats for flights, ministry's sources said.

The accused person will be put on a no-fly list, said a senior official in the Ministry of Civil Aviation on Friday.

The official said that a committee will be formed in consultation with the law ministry and Ministry of Home Affairs to prepare a draft to make amendments to the Aircraft Act, 1934 and Aircraft Rules, 1937 and subordinate legislations to ensure a 5-year imprisonment as well as placing offenders on a no-fly list for hoax bomb threats for flights.