Airline bomb threats: Centre pulls up X for hoax spread, proposes AI-based solution

In the last week, more than 170 flights operated by Indian carriers have received bomb threats.

The Central government, on Wednesday, pulled up microblogging site X for facilitating the dissemination of hoaxes amidst a series of bomb threats directed at airlines in the past week. In a statement, the Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology condemned the platform for allowing the dissemination of alarming rumours that have led to significant disruptions in air travel.

This escalation comes as authorities grapple with over 170 bomb threats received by various airlines, raising concerns about safety and security in the aviation sector. A virtual meeting took place on Tuesday evening involving airline officials and representatives from social media platforms, focusing on the recent bomb threats affecting flights over the past eight days. Air India and Vistara were among the airlines participating in the discussion, which was chaired by Joint Secretary Sanket S Bhondve.

Officials suggested implementing AI-based measures to block accounts that post bulk messages about bombs and urged social media platforms to take proactive steps without waiting for security agencies to intervene.

In the last week, more than 170 flights operated by Indian carriers have received bomb threats. The government is considering legislative actions to address this issue, including placing offenders on a no-fly list and proposing amendments to The Suppression of Unlawful Acts against Safety of Civil Aviation Act (SUASCA), 1982. These amendments would allow arrests and investigations to commence without a court order when an aircraft is on the ground.

The Delhi Police have filed eight FIRs related to bomb threats affecting over 90 domestic and international flights. The threats were traced to anonymous posts on X, with three accounts identified as responsible for the messages. The investigation revealed that the accounts may have been set up using VPNs or dark web browsers.

Security at airports has been tightened, including increased CCTV monitoring and thorough checks at checkpoints. The situation has raised significant alarm among passengers and security agencies, leading to the diversion of several flights.