Key Points
Indian airlines have received more than 100 hoax bomb threats in a span of a few days, forcing planes to delay, reroute and make emergency landings throwing the countrys aviation industry into costly disarray right before one of the biggest festivals of the year...
Although one arrest was made last week, with authorities vowing to punish perpetrators potentially with jail time, the spate of threats has continued, often sent through emails and social media posts.. ..
Since the flurry of hoaxes first started around mid-October, we have [had] 150 to 160 threats, said Sanjay Lazar, an aviation expert.. . Bomb threat hoaxes arent a new phenomenon in India several airports received similar threats in April and June this year..
By September, flight bookings for the Diwali period had seen an 85% increase on last year surpassing pre-pandemic levels, according to World on Holiday, an Indian organization that analyzes travel and hospitality data.. . Passengers are going to be scared but those who need to fly will fly so whats going to happen if this havoc is created around Diwali?.
If passed, the amendments would put hoax perpetrators on a no-fly list and criminalize hoaxes as a cognizable offence, which allows police to arrest suspects without a warrant, Naidu said.. . CNN has reached out to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and several other government agencies for comment.. . Lazar argues the proposed measures are far from enough saying it was stupid to dismiss the hoaxes as the work of a prankster given the severity of the disruption and potential danger of a real threat.. ..
