An Air India Express flight, IX-196, traveling from Dubai to Jaipur with 189 passengers onboard, received a bomb threat via email at 12:45 AM on Saturday. According to Jaipur Airport Police SHO Sandeep Basera, the aircraft landed safely at Jaipur International Airport at 1:20 AM. Following a thorough security check, no suspicious items were found, as reported by news agency ANI.
The bomb threat pattern affecting domestic airlines persisted for a sixth consecutive day, leading authorities to suspend or block around 10 social media accounts responsible for posting such threats.
This incident occurred against the backdrop of another security scare involving a Vistara flight bound for London from Delhi, which was diverted to Frankfurt on Friday due to a bomb threat. An airline spokesperson confirmed that the flight landed safely and is undergoing mandatory security checks before continuing its journey.
Additionally, Akasa Air reported that its flight QP 1366 from Bengaluru to Mumbai received a security alert shortly before takeoff, prompting the evacuation of all passengers while local authorities carried out necessary protocols.
In recent days, approximately 40 flights operated by Indian carriers have reported bomb threats, many of which turned out to be hoaxes. The civil aviation ministry plans to implement stricter measures to deter hoax threats, including placing offenders on a no-fly list.
Civil Aviation Minister K. Rammohan Naidu indicated that the ministry is considering regulatory amendments to enforce stricter actions against those involved in these incidents. He noted that current investigations suggest that most threats are linked to individuals and minors engaging in pranks.
