Analysis: How Hoax Bomb Threats Are Damaging India's Aviation Industry
NDTV
The hoax callers have targeted Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air, Vistara, SpiceJet, Star Air, Alliance Air and even international flights
India's aviation industry is going through a nightmare of flight disruptions after a series of bomb threats that turned out to be fake. The government has launched crisis management efforts after more than 130 hoax calls in nine days. On October 20, airlines in India received as many as 24 bomb threats.
The hoax callers have targeted Air India, IndiGo, Akasa Air, Vistara, SpiceJet, Star Air, Alliance Air and even international flights. Some threats were sent via social media and emails, others were found written in lavatories. Several domestic and international flights were diverted or were forced to make emergency landings, which caused panic among flyers. Checks by bomb squads, causing flight disruptions, have also hit airlines financially.
The hoax bomb calls have been attributed to factors ranging from malicious intent and attention-seeking to mental health issues, disruption of business operations or pranking. Airlines are not new to such bomb hoaxes, but the sheer frequency of the calls this time is astonishing and debilitating.
