Summary
- India is seeing increasing incidents of passengers threatening airlines with a bomb hoax.
- Recent incidents involved flights of Air India Express, IndiGo, and SpiceJet.
- Bomb threats can cause significant disruptions. Flights are often delayed, and airports go on high alert, causing inconvenience to passengers and authorities.
Certain comments should not be made in jest at airports or inside an aircraft. And ‘bomb’ is certainly high on the list of words that will get you into trouble with airport authorities if thrown around casually. Still, that did not stop some flyers in India in recent days, who threatened airlines with a bomb, throwing all caution to the wind.
Bomb in baggage threat
If an airport security official asks to check your baggage one more time, especially around times of high alert, just do it! A passenger of an Air India Express flight from Bengaluru to Kochi was denied boarding after he said there was a bomb in his handbag during a secondary frisking before entering the aircraft.
Photo: DLeng | Shutterstock
The man was apparently irritated about being rechecked after initially going through security by Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) personnel. According to The New Indian Express, a source said that the passenger did not cooperate with the Secondary Ladder Point Check (SLPC) staff and made a comment about a bomb being in his bag. Air India Express told Simple Flying,
“On Sunday, 28th Jan 2024, an inebriated passenger claimed to have a bomb in his handbag during a secondary security check prior to boarding one of our scheduled flights. Our security staff promptly isolated the individual and handed him over to CISF, denying boarding. The security and safety of our guests are non-negotiable, and the incident is currently under investigation by local police.”
The passenger was unfortunately going home due to a death in the family. Upon learning his reason for traveling, the authorities said he would be let off with a fine if he apologized.
Bomb under the seat threat
A 27-year-old passenger delayed an IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Lucknow after claiming that there was a bomb under his seat. According to reports, the comment was made while the boarding process was still ongoing.
Photo: BoeingMan777 | Shutterstock
Naturally, security forces sprang into action, and the flight was checked thoroughly. The fact that this happened on January 26, India’s Republic Day, during which airports are on high alert, made the situation even more urgent.
Multiple IndiGo Flights Receive Bomb Threats
Three separate IndiGo flights faced bomb threats on February 20th.
Nothing was found inside the aircraft, and the threat was declared a hoax. The passenger was detained by Mumbai police, and a case was registered against him. Officials are still trying to determine the reason for the threat.
Hoax bomb call to delay the flight
Running late for his SpiceJet flight from Darbhanga to Delhi on January 24, a man thought the best way to stop the plane from flying was to scare the airline with a bomb threat. The flight had already taken off, but Delhi Airport was put on high alert, and the plane was taken to an isolated bay for a thorough inspection.
Photo: BoeingMan777 | Shutterstock
When nothing was found, the police checked the list of passengers who booked tickets on the flight. Upon learning that a passenger had missed the flight, they questioned him and ultimately received a confession.
SpiceJet Passenger Cooks Up A Bomb Story Just To Get His Wallet Back
The incident took place in Bengaluru.
These three incidents took place within days of one another this month and are some of many that have been reported in recent times in India. Here’s hoping that we get to hear such stories less often in the future.
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