In under 24 hours, nearly 80 domestic and international flights were hit with bomb threats that later proved to be false alarms, leaving thousands of passengers and security agencies on edge. According to two former airline officials, the disruptions resulted in an estimated loss of around INR 600 crore for the airlines.
Over a span of nine days, more than 170 flights operated by Indian carriers were subjected to similar threats, mostly spread via social media. Some of these threats even forced international flights to divert from their routes, causing confusion and delays for travellers.
In response, the government is planning new legislation aimed at tackling such threats, including placing offenders on a no-fly list to ban them from air travel. Additionally, changes to aircraft security regulations are in the works to ensure stricter penalties for those responsible for issuing bomb threats.
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